The head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, visited Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at his headquarters in Ain al-Tineh on Saturday, accompanied by several of the party's deputies, to discuss the presidential session scheduled for Jan. 9. “We discussed the presidential deadline, reaffirming our common position and our agreement on this subject with the Amal movement," led by Berri, he declared.

Lebanon has been without a president since the end of Michel Aoun's term in October 2022, and the Jan. 9, 2025 voting session is the first set by the president of the National Assembly in over a year.

Addressing other political forces he did not name, Raad called for investment in “our capacities and our 'Lebanese-ness' to preserve our country and live together in dignity, protecting the rights of all.”

Cease-fire violations

Regarding the still precarious situation in south Lebanon, Raad felt that Israel “continues its violations to compensate for its failure on the ground,” assuring that “the protection of sovereignty is everyone's responsibility.” He said he had discussed with Berri the measures the international monitoring committee intends to take to enforce “the entire cease-fire agreement and prevent Israeli violations.” A committee chaired by an American general is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the points of the agreement.

The cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024 for a period of 60 days, after two months of intense warfare and over a year of conflict between the two sides, but it remains precarious due to daily Israeli violations.

Turning to the subject of the reforms the country desperately needs, the MP expressed his conviction that “reforms can only be effective if they are comprehensive and designed to serve the general interest and not narrow interests.”