Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (right) receiving Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, Jan. 3, 2025 in Ain al-Tineh. (Credit: Photo courtesy of Hoda Chedid)
BEIRUT — Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed on Friday that he is committed to electing a new president during the parliamentary session scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 9, reported the daily al-Joumhouria. Berri also indicated that the session would include successive rounds of voting and will remain open without interruption until a new president is elected.
Lebanon has been in a state of presidential vacuum since the end of October 2022, when Michel Aoun's term of office ended.
Berri explained that he set the election date five weeks ago to allow political groups time to reach a consensus on a candidate. However, he noted that no agreement has been reached on the identity of the future president.
The buzz of the 'MK' drone
Berri acknowledged that he does not know who the next president will be. This marks a departure from previous elections, where the winning candidate was usually known ahead of time after political negotiations. "The next president will not be pulled out of a hat; all options remain open," he told al-Joumhouria.
Multiple electoral sessions have failed to elect a president, the most recent of which took place on June 12, 2023. In that session, former minister Jihad Azour, backed by the opposition, received 59 votes, while Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, the Amal-Hezbollah candidate, garnered 51 votes. However, the session was adjourned due to a lack of quorum after Hezbollah and Amal MPs left parliament following the first round of voting.
On Friday, Berri also met with Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, caretaker Justice Minister Henri Khoury, and Qatari Ambassador to Lebanon Sheikh Saoud ben Abdel Rahman al-Thani. Their discussions focused on the latest political developments.
In a separate meeting on Thursday, Berri hosted U.S. General Jasper Jeffers, a member of the committee overseeing the cease-fire in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel, at his Ain al-Tineh office.
According to photojournalist Nabil Ismail, who was present at the event, Berri instructed an assistant to open his office window so that Jeffers could hear the buzz of an Israeli MK reconnaissance drone flying over Lebanese airspace, a violation of the cease-fire agreement. Several witnesses reported hearing the drone buzzing over Beirut and surrounding areas.
