Maronite Patriarch Underlines Need for President Up to Challenges, Franjiyeh Closer to Baabda Palace

Posted on June 18, 2023 by uprootedpalestinians

June 17, 2023

Head of Marada Movement Sleiman Franjiyeh

Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rai, underlined on Saturday the importance of dialogue among the various Lebanese parties, saying that the “dialogue is necessary for scrutinizing past events and opening the way to reconciliation.

Addressing the Maronite Church’s Synod held in the presence of bishops representing sects in Lebanon and abroad as well as the Apostolic Nuncio Monsignor Paolo Borgia and Chargé d’Affairs, Monsignor Giovanni Bicciari, Al-Rai said that he does not favor any candidate over another, but rather hopes to elect a president who will rise to the challenges.

Upon the remarks of the Maronite Patriarch, key questions may be raised about the qualifications of the president who will be up to the challenges facing Lebanon. Would he be the provocative or consensual candidate? Would he be the candidate seriously backed by a solid bloc or that who is an outcome of a temporary political intersection?

MP Hajj Hasan

In this context, Member of Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc, MP Hussein Hajj Hasan, said that voting for the confrontational candidate will complicate the crisis, underlining the importance of dialogue and consensus in order to elect a new president.

MP Hajj Hasan indicated that Franjiyeh supporters comprise a solid bloc that has a clear political vision, adding that, however, the other candidate is backed by several blocs that do not have any program in common.

Member of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Hussein Hajj Hasan

More Maneuvers

For his part, Member of Free Patriotic Movement’s parliamentary bloc, MP Salim Aoun said that both candidates, Sleiman Franjiyeh and Jihad Azour, will fail in the presidential term, if elected, adding that the political opponents of each will frustrate their programs.

Member of FPM parliamentary bloc, MP Salim Aoun

Al-Mustaqbal Movement

The secretary general of Al-Mustaqbal Movement, Ahmad Hariri, underlined the significance of ending the presidential vacuum, adding that the former premier Saad Hariri has always rejected vacuum due to its detrimental effects on the entire nation.

Franjiyeh Closer to Baabda Palace

The Lebanese daily, Al-Joumhouria, indicated that the French-Saudi meetings as well as the Saudi-Syrian contacts may speed up the presidential vote process, highlighting the surge of the chances of Head of Marada Movement Sleiman Franjiyeh.

The paper added that, in accordance with the French initiative or deal, the former PM Tamma Salam or the the diplomat Nawwaf Salam are proposed for premiership during the new term.

According to Al-Joumhouria, House Speaker Nabih Berri may call for a new presidential vote session before the end of June, adding that the 13th session is expected to be fruitful.

On Wednesday, June 14, the parliament convened and held a the 12th vote session. Despite the wide alliance formed as a result of US interventions and local provocations to support the ex-minister Jihad Azour, he failed to get more than 59 votes. Whereas, Franjiyeh surprised the opponents and gained 51 votes in spite of all the political campaign which targeted him.

In a press interview, Speaker Berri noted that Wednesday’s election session has proved that there should be dialogue and consensus instead of challenge and provocation.

“The votes that Head of Marada Movement Suleiman Franjieh received came as a clear message, seeing as the number he got shocked the rivals, the same as they were shocked by the meager number of votes that ex-minister Jihad Azour received,” Speaker Berri added.

Speaker Berri also suggested that “Lebanon survived an attempt to create a crisis against the backdrop of the presidential vote.”