Political turmoil prolongs the power vacuum in Lebanon

Six failed sessions, the division of the parliamentary blocs, and external interference make the process of appointing the head of the Lebanese state for the next six years difficult, and the vacancy is scheduled to continue until the end of the year.

According to local reports, the scenario of the presidential vote will not change next Thursday in the seventh convocation of the Legislative Council, without any exceptional event, neither in the country nor abroad, announcing an understanding in the elections.

Internally, a group of parties insist on moving ahead with the candidacy of Representative Michel Moawad, whom the other party considers a difficult figure. Meanwhile, the positions of the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, are delaying the appointment of the leader of the Marada Movement, Suleiman Franjieh.

According to Al-Diyar newspaper, the Shiite duo of Hezbollah and the Amal movement, a large percentage of Sunni and independent representatives, except for their backing bloc, Franjieh. Meanwhile, Moawad is supported by the Lebanese Forces, the Progressive Party and the Kataeb.

From the outside, France encourages a leader who does not constitute an “inconvenience” to Hezbollah, to the national consensus and at the same time satisfies Saudi Arabia to ensure the reactivation of its relationship with Lebanon, according to the specific outlet.

In this context, Joanna Wronica, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, discussed with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri the crucial role of the legislative authority in expediting the election of a President for the Republic and moving forward with the adoption of recovery reforms. Need.

During his meetings with the deputies, Waronica stressed the need to prioritize the national interest in order to end the vacuum to organize and strengthen the work of state institutions in this critical period of the country.

A member of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, Hussein Hajj Hassan, confirmed, after the end of the sixth parliamentary session, that the current moments reflect the division in the country and the rejection of the dialogue that Berri called for.

For his part, the Secretary of the Democratic Gathering Bloc, Hadi Abu Al-Hassan, called on the deputies to remain in session to move forward in the electoral process while maintaining a two-thirds quorum.

The meeting of Lebanese parties, forces and personalities warned of the dangers of prolonging the vacancy and insisted on the need to organize the work of the state in light of the difficulties faced by the Lebanese in the financial, economic and social fields.

From this standpoint, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah stressed the importance of preserving the elements of strength in the nation and “electing the president is the most important because he guards national security.”

In this regard, Nasrallah denounced the interference of the US embassy in Beirut in the smallest governmental and ministerial details in Lebanon and its pressure to encourage confrontation with the resistance.

In the face of this interference, the leader of Hezbollah supported the appointment of a brave head of state in Baabda Palace, who gives priority to the national interest, does not sell the country to imperial ambitions, or stab the resistance in the back.

After six years in power, Michel Aoun ended his term on October 31, and Lebanon avoids a fourth presidential vacuum after independence in 1943.

Specifically, Aoun, the longest-serving president at the time of taking office at 81, requested 46 legislative sessions to complete the quorum in 2016 and put an end to the 888-day vacuum.

According to the constitution, in the first round of voting, a candidate must receive two-thirds or 86 votes to win; Meanwhile, to go to the second round, the applicant requires a majority of 65 votes.

m / yma