Le Drian and the Saudi envoy on tour, hours from 'decisive' electoral session

On the eve of a parliamentary session that could lead to the election of a new president in Lebanon after two years of vacancy, the French president's special envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, is currently touring Lebanese political leaders. This visit coincides with the arrival of the Saudi envoy to Lebanon, Yazid bin Farhan, in Beirut.

The first stop was Ain al-Tineh, where he was met by Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri in the presence of the French ambassador to Lebanon, Hervé Magro, according to the state-run National Information Agency (NNA).

Support for Joseph Aoun

Several media outlets reported that the French envoy also met with the head of the Hezbollah parliamentary group, Mohammad Raad, who told him, according to al-Jadeed, that his party "will not obstruct a consensus around the name of the future president." Local channels said that the former French foreign minister conveys, during his meetings, the support of the Quintet, a group of five countries working to resolve the political crisis in Lebanon, for the candidacy of army commander Joseph Aoun.

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Earlier in the morning, the French special envoy and Magro hosted a breakfast at the French ambassador's residence in Beirut for members of the Renewal Bloc – a formation part of the anti-Hezbollah opposition – as well as parliamentarians from the Oct. 17, 2019, protest movement. Following this meeting, the representative of the Renewal Bloc, Zgharta MP Michel Moawad, a former candidate for the presidency, expressed the participants' tendency to support Aoun's presidential candidacy. The MPs, notably Fouad Makhzoumi (Sunni from Beirut), Michel Doueihy (Zgharta), Waddah Sadek (Beirut II) and Mark Daou (Aley), emphasized "the need to end the presidential vacancy during the decisive electoral session on Jan. 9 to restore the sovereignty of the state and reaffirm its authority," stated Moawad in a post on X.

Opposition members of parliament also met in the morning at the Kataeb party headquarters in Saifi. Their colleagues from the National Moderation, former Hariri supporters, have also announced their support for Joseph Aoun.

Saudi Envoy in Beirut

Lebanon has been without a president for more than two years, with parliamentary sessions failing to elect a successor to Michel Aoun due to a lack of consensus on a candidate. After more than a year without a parliamentary session dedicated to the election, Berri called on MPs to a new vote on Thursday, Jan. 9.

Before this deadline, the Saudi envoy to Lebanon arrived at Beirut International Airport on Wednesday before noon, according to the NNA. This is his second visit in five days before the session. Saudi Arabia is also part of the Quintet. Before these French and Saudi tours, it was the U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein who was in Beirut on Monday and Tuesday.

Pauses Only 'for Prayer or Mass'

Signaling the optimism prevailing in the country, caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said this morning during an event at the Serail that he is "happy for the first time since the start of the presidential vacancy because, God willing, we will have a new head of state tomorrow."

Berri, quoted Wednesday by the daily an-Nahar, mentioned the "will to elect the president during Thursday's meeting or in the following days."

"The electoral sessions will not be interrupted, except for Friday prayers or Sunday mass," Berri added.