The leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea (third from the left), receiving the deputies of the National Moderation. (Credit: Al-Markazia)
BEIRUT — The National Moderation bloc, consisting of six MPs who are mainly former Hariri supporters, is attempting to launch an initiative to end the prolonged presidential vacancy since Michel Aoun left the Baabda Palace in October 2022.
The initiative, announced on Saturday from the Lebanese Forces' (LF) headquarters Meerab following a meeting with the party's leader, Samir Geagea, aims to encourage all blocs to convene in Parliament and demand an open session for the election of a president.
The deputies of the National Moderation plan to meet with representatives from all parliamentary groups and have commenced their tour, starting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
"This initiative has the merit of being clear, and I have endorsed it," said Geagea after the meeting with the National Moderation parliamentarians. "It involves bringing together deputies from all blocs in Parliament to demand an open session for the presidential election, with a dialogue that would unfold on the sidelines," continued the LF leader.
He added that, according to the information he received, Berri would be supportive of this idea. "If the intentions are good, we can elect a president," he added, emphasizing that the pro-Hezbollah axis remains committed to its candidate, the leader of the Marada movement, Sleiman Frangieh.
No proposed name
According to an LF source interviewed by L'Orient-Le Jour, the initiative's significance is that it is "proposed by a bloc that, until now, positioned itself at an equal distance between the advocates — in favor of an open session for the presidential election — and the pro-Hezbollah axis — which regularly causes a loss of quorum to hinder this event — thus aligning itself more with the opposition."
According to the source, the initiative is innovative in proposing that deputies collectively decide to go to Parliament, without being summoned, and advocate within the Hemicycle for the opening of this session. Thus, the intentions of the blocs that do not respond to the call will be revealed, the sources added. There is no proposed presidential candidate within the framework of this initiative, the source assured.
Members of the National Moderation also met with two Kataeb deputies, Nadim Gemayel and Elias Hankache, at the party's headquarters in the Saifi district of Beirut. They were also received by the president of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil.
In a televised interview, one of these deputies, Sajih Attieh, specified that his group found it "its national duty to encourage efforts for the election of a president, parallel to the action of the quintet," which includes ambassadors from five countries: France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United States,and Egypt, who are working to end the presidential vacancy.
However, Attieh denied any foreign involvement in this initiative. "Our ambition is to stay in Parliament until the right personality is elected to the presidency," he continued.
He also emphasized the importance of dialogue on the sidelines of this session to identify common ground and garner 86 votes (two-thirds majority) in favor of a candidate.
Rai: Vacancy rhymes with chaos
In his Sunday sermon, Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai also addressed the issue of the presidential vacancy, stating that "the voluntary prolongation of this vacancy has revealed the intentions of those who want to hinder the deadline and those who benefit from it."
"We observe a widespread collapse of institutions and total chaos that allows many leaders to maintain a grip on power," he also accused, emphasizing that this "seriously" endangers Lebanese coexistence and unity.
"The violations of the Constitution and the principles of coexistence in Lebanon are ongoing, and we will all be crushed by this collapse," he warned.
Rai also "commended the efforts of the quintet" and hoped that different political parties would join these efforts.
