BEIRUT: On Tuesday, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed that Thursday is the scheduled date for the parliamentary session to elect a president, a position that has been vacant for two years, two months, and one week.
Berri’s confirmation coincided with the continued deployment of the Lebanese army in the western sector of southern Lebanon following the withdrawal of Israeli forces that had been there since last October.
It also coincided with US envoy Amos Hochstein, who is in Beirut for the second day, stating that “Israeli forces will withdraw from Lebanon within 60 days,” reflecting, according to a political observer, “an international desire to defuse the tensions of war feared by the Lebanese between the Israeli army and Hezbollah after the 60-day deadline.”
The US Embassy in Lebanon announced on Tuesday that “US Major General Jasper Jeffers, the Chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Implementation Mechanism, was joined by French Brigadier General Guillaume Ponchin on a visit to the Lebanese Armed Forces headquarters in southwest Lebanon this morning. The headquarters is five kilometers northeast of Naqoura, a town under the control of the Lebanese Armed Forces after the first phase of withdrawal by Israeli forces on January 6th.”
The embassy said that “Generals Jeffers and Ponchin viewed stockpiles of weapons to be destroyed in the coming days, which the LAF seized from unauthorized armed groups.”
On Tuesday, Lebanese army vehicles prepared to continue repositioning in locations previously vacated during the Israeli forces’ incursion, including in Labouneh and Alma Al-Shaab. The army also redeployed at the entrance to the town of Tayr Harfa.
For the first time since the war, fishermen entered the port of Naqoura, accompanied by the Lebanese army, to inspect their boats, some of which had been sunk.
While the Lebanese army prohibited citizens from returning to areas where the army is still conducting surveys, Naqoura Mayor Abbas Awada revealed the extent of systematic destruction in the border area. He stated: “The town of Naqoura is almost completely destroyed. I urge the town’s residents to wait before returning until field inspections are completed due to the fear of unexploded ordnance.”
Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun informed Hochstein on Monday during a meeting that “the Lebanese military deployment on the borders requires the full withdrawal of Israeli forces.”
He emphasized: “The inability to fully implement the agreement is due to the continued Israeli presence in southern villages.”
After meeting with Lebanese officials, Hochstein stressed that “the US supports the Lebanese army, and southern Lebanon will return to stability and security.”
Hochstein, in the context of addressing the presidential file in Lebanon, emphasized during a meeting with a range of MPs affiliated with various blocs or acting independently that “the United States is a friendly nation to Lebanon and will continue to support it and its army.”
As French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian joins the ongoing efforts to address the presidential file with his arrival in Beirut on Tuesday, Hochstein emphasized during the parliamentary meeting “the necessity for Lebanon, and implicitly any incoming president, to adhere to the Taif Agreement and the essential agreements and reforms.”
MPs are divided regarding the election of the army commander. Hezbollah MPs insist on supporting their candidate, former Minister Sleiman Frangieh, while the Free Patriotic Movement categorically rejects the candidacy of Aoun.
Discussions and meetings regarding a consensus candidate among the Lebanese political parties are taking place away from the public eye. However, the names currently being circulated do not yet command the majority needed for victory.
MP Bilal Hashimi stated that “the presidency dynamic remains characterized by ambiguity and complexity, despite the notable external activity represented by the arrival of American and French envoys to Lebanon.”
The leader of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, affirmed that his party maintains “a positive relationship with General Joseph Aoun. When Aoun’s name was proposed as a presidential candidate, the Lebanese Forces were the first to regard him as one of the serious contenders and did not impose any veto against his name at any point in time.”
The Grand Mufti of Lebanon, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, cautioned against “any obstruction that may prevent the election of a president on Thursday.”
He emphasized that “the ongoing presidential vacancy provides the Israeli enemy with an opportunity to exploit political divisions to undermine the unity and solidarity of the Lebanese people and put the country at risk of collapse.”
The President of Economic Organizations Mohammad Choucair urged lawmakers to complete the presidential election process, emphasizing that “we have no option but the state, as it is the only solution to rescue Lebanon and guide it back to a path of recovery.”
The President of the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council Charles Arbid called upon the members of parliament to “complete the presidential election as it is essential for a functioning state,” emphasizing the need for “a reformist leader to guide the nation and restore Lebanon to a stable country.”
