Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stands next to Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblatt. (Illustration credit: NNA/File)
BEIRUT — Wednesday's parliamentary session to try electing a new Lebanese president "will be held on time," unless Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai requests it to be postponed, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told the local Al-Liwaa newspaper Tuesday.
It will be the 12th such session to choose Lebanon's next head of state after the previous 11 all failed. Lebanon has been without a president since the end of Michel Aoun's term on Oct. 31, 2022. Traditionally, the president is always a member of the Maronite community.
In an interview with the Al-Joumhouriya newspaper Tuesday, Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Joumblatt echoed Berri's comments, saying "nothing can shake my relationship with ... Nabih Berri."
Their comments come after reports in local media about tensions between both men over the presidential election, after the PSP announced its endorsement of former Finance Minister Jihad Azour. Nabih Berri's Amal Movement, as well as Hezbollah, support Marada Movement leader Sleiman Frangieh.
Berri also confirmed he would vote for Frangieh, "regardless of the results of the first session," hinting that the second session would not take place as "once any team feels the danger of losing, it will cause the quorum to be lost [by withdrawing from the session]."
Under the Lebanese constitution, the president must be elected with 86 votes (out of 128 MPs) in the first round of voting, while an absolute majority of 65 votes is required in subsequent rounds.
No second round of voting has taken place so far, as MPs from the Hezbollah camp and its allies have withdrawn from Parliament after the first round, leading to a loss of quorum each time. At each new session, Berri considers it to be a new first round of voting, with 86 votes required to elect a president. However, this maneuver is contrary to the constitution.
Azour officially announced his candidacy Monday, supported by several opposition parties and MPs, emphasizing that his candidacy is “a challenge to no one” and has “total independence from outside interference.”
Azour temporarily suspended his duties as a senior official at the International Monetary Fund last week after receiving a wave of support from the Lebanese Forces (LF), the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and opposition members.
When asked whether he will call for dialogue, Berri said: "I called for dialogue twice before announcing my position in support of Frangieh's candidacy, but ... any invitation from me will appear as if I am inviting others to convince them of our candidate."
"Let [Rai] call [for a dialogue] and I am ready to accept the invitation. In any case, [Rai] returned from Rome and Paris with a similar impression urging the need for dialogue between the Lebanese."
Later on Tuesday, LF leader Samir Geagea appeared to address Berri's comments, tweeting: "Dialogue does not happen when a specific party chooses a candidate according to its taste and invites all others to a dialogue in order to elect him."
"On the other hand, we are in the process of a presidential election, not tribal agreements."
'Nothing can shake my relationship with Nabih Berri'
When asked about his relationship with PSP leader Joumblatt, Berri said: "Walid and I have been friends for a long time."
“Whoever he names [for the presidency], he will not turn far from me,” he added, then denied that Teymour Joumblatt, Walid's son and apparent heir to the party leadership, had asked for an appointment with Berri and did not set it for him.
Joumblatt told Al-Joumhuriya: “Nothing can shake my relationship with Nabih Berri.”
In the context of the “Democratic Gathering” bloc voting for Azour, Joumblatt added that "we know very well the balances and composition of this country, and therefore there is no point in anyone targeting anyone."
"In the context of our support for Azour, we stressed the need for understanding and consensus around him, away from the approach of challenge and imposition," Joumblatt added.
"Therefore we must be in harmony with ourselves in tomorrow's session," Joumblatt was quoted as saying, noting that "it might have been better if Azour had adopted a different tactic in managing his candidacy."
