Gebran Bassil on our podcast ‘Aux urnes citoyens!’ (‘To the polls, citizens!’) with co-editor Anthony Samrani. (Credit: OLJ)
Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Gebran Bassil held talks on Tuesday morning with Tripoli MP Faisal Karami as part of his initiative to resolve Lebanon’s presidential impasse.
Following the meeting, Bassil stressed that the deadlock can only be resolved “through an agreement on a president,” as reported by local media. “There is no point in allowing the presidential vacuum to persist, as this is detrimental to the country,” he added. Bassil also remarked that “no one can govern the country by excluding the other side,” noting that “any gamble on one side’s victory over the other is a loss.”
Karami stated his belief that the only way to resolve the presidential deadlock is through further dialogue and consultation, highlighting that he considers Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s proposal to be a clear roadmap in this direction.
Bassil began a tour of key political players on Monday as part of his initiative to break the deadlock in the presidential election 18 months after Michel Aoun's term ended on Oct. 31, 2022. Late Monday morning, Bassil met with Berri and opposition representatives, including the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb Party, the Renewal Bloc, and other opposition members. After he met with Berri, Bassil called for "time-limited dialogue or consultations," followed by open electoral sessions with a defined number of voting rounds.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.