Melhem Khalaf reports 'hazy, unproductive' negotiations ahead of Jan. 9 meeting

Protestant MP Melhem Khalaf pointed the finger on Saturday at “foggy and unproductive” negotiations for the Lebanese presidential election, while a parliamentary election session has been set for Jan. 9 by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

In remarks reported by the official National News Agency (NNA), which the Beirut MP made on the radio, Khalaf asserted that there is “a new dynamic movement behind the scenes in Parliament to get a president elected” but that it “is hazy and unproductive for the moment. At the last moment, it will give a result,” he added.

Commenting on the possible candidacy of the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army, Joseph Aoun, Khalaf said, “There is no problem with the Commander himself, who has all the skills to assume this responsibility. But the obstacle lies in the Constitution, and you can't have a presidential mandate by violating the Constitution,” he continued. For General Aoun to be elected, a constitutional amendment would have to be approved by two-thirds of Parliament, or he would have to wait six months after the end of his term as army commander.

Lebanon has now been without a president for over two years, since Michel Aoun stepped down on Oct. 31, 2022. The 12 parliamentary election sessions held since then have produced no results. A number of names are being bandied about in the race for the presidency.