Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh (left) is received by Maronite Church leader Bechara al-Rai in Dimane on Aug. 11, 2023. (Credit: X/@sleimanfrangieh)
BEIRUT — Sleiman Frangieh, leader of the Marada Movement and Hezbollah and Amal's preferred presidential candidate, on Friday described the present situation in Lebanon as "dangerous"; however, he added that "the coming months are promising." Frangieh's comments came in a statement following a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai in Dimane.
Lebanon has been without a president for more than nine months, with Michel Aoun's term of office having ended in October 2022.
Amid the presidential vacuum, security incidents in the country have multiplied of late.
"Despite the dangerous and delicate situation, the coming months hold great promise for achieving a reassuring state of affairs in the future," said Frangieh at the Maronite patriarchate's summer headquarters in North Lebanon, stressing the "importance and necessity of electing a president of the republic."
"The situation is delicate and requires calm and national awareness," he added, but did not elaborate further.
Twelve parliamentary sessions aimed at electing a successor to Aoun have ended in failure due to a lack of consensus between parliamentary groups.
Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, led by House Speaker Nabih Berri, are backing Frangieh, while the opposition camp is backing former Finance Minister and current International Monetary Fund (IMF) senior official Jihad Azour.
Hezbollah's Christian ally, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) has so far refused to support Frangieh. Despite tensions between the two parties, the FPM and Hezbollah began a dialogue last month to find a solution to the presidential vacuum.
French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Beirut at the end of July and proposed that Lebanese political players take part in an informal dialogue in September to find a solution to the political impasse.