Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri appears to have softened his position on the presidential election in light of the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah, where the latter has been severely weakened and left without its leadership.
During meetings with visitors on Wednesday, Berri indicated that he no longer insists on dialogue — previously considered by both him and Hezbollah as a necessary condition for holding the presidential election. This shift was reported by two MPs: Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab and MP Sajih Attieh, a member of the Moderation Bloc.
“We sensed a newfound flexibility from Berri on the presidential election. He is no longer as attached to dialogue as an essential precondition for electing a president,” Bou Saab remarked after visiting Ain el-Tineh, accompanied by former Free Patriotic Movement bloc MPs Alain Aoun, Ibrahim Kanaan, Simon Abi Ramia, Michel Daher, and Neemat Frem.
Attieh shared a similar sentiment following his own meeting with Berri, which he attended with Moderation Bloc MPs Ahmad Kheir, Abdelaziz Samad, and Mohammad Sleiman.
“Berri highlighted the urgency of promptly electing a president and emphasized the need to separate the presidential election issue from the ongoing war,” Attieh said.
The MPs also underscored the importance of achieving a ceasefire, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
