Shafaq News/ As the session to elect a new president forLebanon approaches, Lebanese newspapers have been covering the latestdevelopments in the matter, focusing on the outcome of the visit by SaudiForeign Ministry’s Lebanese affairs advisor, Yazid bin Farhan.
On Monday, Al-Akhbar newspaper described the discussions ledby bin Farhan as being “extremely disappointing.”
The paper quoted informed sources criticizing Saudi Arabia’shandling of the presidential election issue, noting that while the Kingdom hadexpressed its commitment, since the end of Michel Aoun’s term two years ago, toavoid interference in the presidential file and emphasized that it cares moreabout qualifications than names, bin Farhan stepped away from neutrality.
He openly discussed Major General Joseph Aoun, the LebaneseArmy Commander, as a primary candidate for the presidency, based on thespecifications agreed upon by the Quintet Committee (the United States, France,Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar) concerned with Lebanon.
The sources also pointed out that the Saudi envoy’s visitaimed to establish two things: first, that the Quintet Committee has only Aounas a candidate, and it is up to the internal forces to find the propermechanism for his election; second, that no alternative plan exists, with theSaudi envoy stressing that everyone he met should be aware that the actingdirector-general of General Security, Major General Elias Baissari, is notwelcome by the Committee, with Doha proposing him as a substitute if Aoun’selection fails to pass.
The Saudi official told those he met, "For us, we arenot playing games. Baissari is rejected, and the Americans will tell you this."
The sources concluded that “the Saudi visit aimed to pavethe way for the Americans to settle the matter.”
According to the newspaper sources, the Saudis believeWashington can convince Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Lebanese Forcesleader Samir Geagea to elect the Army Commander.
Lebanon is now awaiting US envoy Amos Hochstein, who visitedRiyadh late last night, met with Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, in thepresence of Yazid bin Farhan, and announced after the meeting that discussionscentered on regional developments, particularly those in Lebanon.
The sources also noted that "Speaker Nabih Berri didnot hide his displeasure" and informed those he met that this proposalcontradicts what was agreed upon with the Quintet Committee, in which SaudiAmbassador Walid Bukhari participates.
Berri clarified, "We asked the Quintet, in the presenceof the Saudi Ambassador, to support the candidate that the Lebanese agree upon,not for foreign powers to choose a president that the Lebanese mustaccept."
He pointed out thedifficulty in securing enough parliamentary votes for a constitutionalamendment necessary for Aoun’s election, as well as the lack of Christianconsensus on him.
Berri also highlighted Aoun’s "strained relations withinternal parties and the difficulty of reaching an agreement with him."
Sources indicate that during Aoun’s tenure as ArmyCommander, his relations with defense ministers were tense.
"The president we elect must be someone who can cooperatewith the next prime minister, which may not be guaranteed with Aoun,"Berri emphasized.
The Lebanese president must be from theMaronite Christian sect, and their term lasts for six years, with nopossibility of renewal. To elect the president in the first round, 86 votes outof the 128 members of the Lebanese Parliament are required, while only 65 votesare needed from the second round onwards.
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