Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri during a parliamentary session dedicated to the election of a president. (Credit: Lebanese Parliament/File photo)
BEIRUT — Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he will schedule a presidential election parliamentary session when the candidacy of former Finance Minister Jihad Azour "becomes serious."
In an interview with al-Sharq al-Awsat published on Saturday, Berri said Azour's candidacy is still "limited to intentions, and when it becomes serious I will call for a [Parliament] session immediately."
Azour is the current head of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund. His presidential candidacy is supported by many of the opposition parties, and reports suggest he is also supported by Gebran Bassil's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM).
No opposition parties have yet given Azour their official, unified endorsement, but several observers expect these parties to do so this weekend.
Berri, however, said he considers the candidacy of Marada Movement leader Sleiman Frangieh to be serious. He described Frangieh as "having clear choices, and willing to cooperate with everyone."
Frangieh's candidacy is officially supported by Amal and Hezbollah.
Regarding his decision not to schedule any recent electoral sessions, Berri told al-Sharq al-Awsat: "Should we exhaust people through security measurements around Parliament and make ourselves a mockery ... by scheduling a session with no purpose? Or should we try to reach solutions?"
On Wednesday, Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea told local channel Al-Akhbar that the FPM, his political rival, informed opposition forces of its commitment to support Azour's candidacy.
"Whether there is a clear opposition candidate or not, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri will not call Parliament to an election session," said Geagea. "[Berri will do so] in only one case: when the Moumanaa candidate, Sleiman Frangieh, receives 65 votes."
Sixty-five votes is the simple majority needed to be elected president in a second-round vote in Parliament.
While former president Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022, Parliament has convened 11 times since Sept. 2022 failing each time to elect a new president given the lack of political agreement, as is customary in Lebanon.