Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri talks with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, Nov. 28, 2024. (Credit: Lebanese Parliament / Ali Fawwaz)
With Lebanon remaining without a president since Oct. 31, 2022, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has scheduled a new session to elect a head of state for Jan. 9, 2025.
At the start of a legislative parliamentary session, which opened with a minute of silence for those killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, Berri declared, “I had pledged that as soon as the cease-fire took effect, I would set a date for a session to elect a president. Therefore, I announce a session on Jan. 9.”
The cease-fire took effect early Wednesday at 4 a.m. Berri added that the “upcoming presidential election session will be fruitful, God willing,” and that he would invite “ambassadors to attend.”
“Ending the destructive dynamic” in Lebanon
MP Ibrahim Kanaan, who chairs Parliament’s Finance and Budget Committee, emphasized the importance of discussions about the country’s future. “We support anything that avoids a vacuum. Lebanon cannot continue with a presidential, military, and institutional vacancy. It is necessary to put an end to the country’s destructive dynamic,” Kanaan said, according to the National News Agency (NNA).
Parliament is also convened to vote on extending the terms of Lebanese security agency chiefs, including army commander Gen. Joseph Aoun.
Lebanon has now been without a president for over two years. Since Michel Aoun’s term ended, divisions between Hezbollah and other political factions have blocked the election of a new head of state. The last parliamentary session scheduled for Oct. 22, 2024, did not take place due to a lack of quorum, with only 49 of 128 MPs attending, far below the 65 required.
The most recent electoral session, the 12th since November 2022, was held on June 14, 2023. Sleiman Frangieh, the candidate backed by the Amal-Hezbollah alliance, garnered 51 votes, surpassing expectations of 45.
His rival, Jihad Azour, secured 59 votes, though his supporters, namely the Lebanese Forces, Kataeb and their allies, had hoped for a symbolic disqualification of Frangieh.
Le Drian’s visit
The announcement of the electoral session came during a visit to Beirut by French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian as part of his efforts to resolve the political crisis.
On Thursday morning, Le Drian met with former Free Patriotic Movement MPs Elias Bou Saab, Ibrahim Kanaan, Alain Aoun and Simon Abi Ramia, along with French Ambassador Hervé Magro. Discussions focused on developments after the cease-fire, the political path forward, and the priority of electing a president, according to a statement.
Le Drian also met with MP Sajih Attiyeh of the National Moderation Bloc, a group of former Future Movement members. The meeting emphasized the need to expedite the presidential election, as the international Quintet — including the U.S., France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar — reaffirmed its commitment to resolving Lebanon’s crisis, according to Attiyeh’s press office.
Later in the day, Le Drian attended part of Parliament’s legislative discussions and met with Berri to review political developments, the presidential election, and the situation following the cease-fire. The meeting included the French delegation, Ambassador Magro, and Berri’s adviser, Ali Hamdan.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati also met with Berri and received a phone call from Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aati, NNA reported.
Kesrouan MP Neemat Frem met with Le Drian, as announced on X. Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil, currently abroad, spoke with Le Drian by phone to discuss his mission in Lebanon, with plans for continued communication. Bassil also called Berri and Mikati to congratulate them on the cease-fire, expressing hope that “everyone has learned lessons from what happened.”
Le Drian later visited Beirut’s Grand Serail to meet with Mikati, focusing on the post-cease-fire situation and the urgent need to elect a president. “Restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty requires electing a president without delay,” Le Drian stated.
He then met with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in his residence in Maarab, accompanied by Magro and senior party members.
In a televised speech Wednesday, Berri, who led Lebanese negotiations for the cease-fire, stressed the urgency of electing a president “who is not seen as a challenge to anyone.” Following Berri’s remarks, Mikati expressed hope for the opening of a “new chapter” in Lebanon’s history with the election of a president soon.
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