Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri talking with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, Nov. 28, 2024. (Credit: Lebanese Parliament/Ali Fawaz)
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Tuesday that the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria will not have “negative effects” on Lebanon and affirmed that the country will “have a president on Jan. 9.”
A parliamentary session is scheduled for Jan. 9 to elect a new head of state after more than two years of a presidential vacuum in Lebanon, caused by political divisions, particularly between Hezbollah and its opponents.
According to Berri, “the primary beneficiary of what happened in Syria so far is Israel, followed by Turkey,” dismissing the likelihood of any “negative effects” on Lebanon.
The armed Syrian opposition, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), overthrew the Assad regime, which had been in power for 54 years, in just 10 days. Following the liberation of Aleppo, Homs, and Hama, Damascus was freed on Dec. 8, 2024, prompting Assad to flee the country.
A few days earlier, a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, Assad’s ally, had come into effect on Nov. 27. Both sides have since accused each other of violating the truce. Berri stated that the cease-fire agreement, brokered by the United States and France, has “strengthened Lebanon against upheavals,” emphasizing the need to continue measures that “bolster the country’s resilience and restore the proper functioning of its institutions.”
He confirmed that the presidential election date remains unchanged despite rumors of postponements for further consultations. “I have received no notification from any local or foreign party suggesting a delay. Lebanon will have a president on Jan. 9,” he insisted.
Lebanon has been without a president since Oct. 31, 2022, when Michel Aoun’s term ended. The last electoral session, the 12th since November 2022, was held on June 14, 2023. Sleiman Frangieh, the candidate of the Amal-Hezbollah alliance, garnered 51 votes out of 128, exceeding predictions of around 45. His rival, Jihad Azour, received 59 votes (or possibly 60, as one ballot was “lost”).
While the opposition sought to symbolically disqualify Frangieh with his score, the Shiite duo intensified efforts to close the gap between the two candidates.
