Amal will support Joseph Aoun's candidacy if 'majority' in his favor

The Amal Movement, led by the Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri, will rally behind the candidacy of the commander of the Lebanese Army, Joseph Aoun, if a "majority" emerges in his favor, even before the start of the parliamentary electoral session on Thursday, a source close to the party told L'Orient-Le Jour.

Ayoub Hmayyed, an MP for the Amal Movement, emphasized on Wednesday the importance of a "political consensus" on the eve of a parliamentary session that could lead to the election of a new president in Lebanon, after a two-year vacancy, without stating the bloc's support for a specific candidate.

Following a meeting of the Development and Liberation parliamentary bloc, chaired by Berri, Hmayyed said that the bloc is "in favor of a consensus" around the name of the future president while assuring that "no stance will obstruct" the election.

In a statement relayed by the state-run National News Agency (NNA), the MP specified from Ain el-Tineh that tomorrow's session will include successive rounds and will remain open without interruption until a new president is elected, as Berri had already announced.

Cited on Wednesday by the daily an-Nahar, the head of the Legislature 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," added Berri.

Lebanon has been without a president for over two years, as parliamentary sessions have not resulted in the election of a successor to Michel Aoun, due to a lack of consensus on a candidate, as is customary in Lebanon. After more than a year without a parliamentary session dedicated to the election, Berri ordered MPs to convene on Thursday, Jan. 9, for a new round of voting.