Following the announcement of their initiative to break the presidential stalemate that has persisted since October 31, 2022, opposition MPs submitted on Wednesday “their two proposals” to various parliamentary blocs that they met successively.
Opposition MPs Elias Hankach, Ghassan Hasbani, Fouad Makhzoumi, and Michel Doueihi began their meetings with the Democratic Gathering (PSP) parliamentary group, composed of Hadi Abou el-Hosn, Marwan Hamade, Wael Abou Faour, and Bilal Abdallah.
Following the meeting, MP Abou Faour stated that even though his bloc considered the initiative “positive,” more flexibility from all parties is needed to reach a solution. However, his bloc expressed reservations about the opposition MPs’ initiative, considering that it “did not bring new ideas that could lead to the election of a president.” He added that “it is not correct to say that the dialogue raises concerns,” referring to the dialogue proposed by the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, to unlock the presidential issue.
Abou Faour wished “that this initiative be crowned with success,” assuring that “he does not want to discredit this movement.”
The opposition MPs then met with a delegation from the Moderation parliamentary bloc, grouping MPs Sajih Attiye, Ahmed Kheir, Neemat Frem, and Nabil Badr.
This meeting was described as “more positive” by MP Ahmed Kheir, who also emphasized that “everyone is convinced that consultation is the necessary step to elect a president.”
The Moderation bloc, which had put forward its own initiative in that regard in February 2024, considered the new formula proposed by the opposition “complementary to theirs and other initiatives, contrary to what some may think.”
“The opposition has taken a step forward by accepting the idea of consultation, whether it is after or before the session,” added Kheir. He expressed confidence that “integrating these diverse initiatives can ultimately lead to the convergence of all Lebanese and end the presidential vacancy.”
Following the third meeting with the MPs of Change and Independents, MP Firas Hamdan stated, “We are, of course, in favor of any initiative that complies with the Constitution, and on the other hand, we support a solution to the obstruction of the election of a president.”
“We have welcomed all initiatives that respect the Lebanese Constitution, and at this historic moment, we are receptive and ready to open the door to discussions within the strict framework of the Constitution,” Hamdan argued.
However, he emphasized that the call “for dialogue is a pretext for not electing a president,” also referring to Berri’s repeatedly proposed initiative.
For his part, MP Melhem Khalaf stressed that “there is a quasi agreement on having consultations, but in return for that, there cannot be successive sessions; there must be an open session with consecutive rounds, per the provisions of the Constitution.”
