Member of the Lebanese Forces bloc MP Antoine Zahra said that “no solution has yet been found for the Lebanese presidential deadlock even after the Iranian nuclear deal was forged.”
“Hezbollah considers this deal a victory for Iran and is more likely to impose new conditions regarding the presidential elections,” he explained, warning against further complications, since the deal will increase the chances of head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun.
In a statement to LBCI’s Nharkom Said, Zahra noted that the issue of the presidential vacuum has reached a stage whereby the election of a consensual president has become inevitable, pointing out that “a strong head of state is one who derives his strength from the agreement reached over him.”
Answering a question, MP Zahra said that “the declaration of intent” finalized between the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement, highlights the need to elect a well-represented strong candidate, capable of communicating with all the Lebanese factions.
“It is currently impossible for either MP Michel Aoun or Lebanese Forces Chief Samir Geagea to be elected for the position,” he stated.
While the deputy revealed that the Lebanese Forces supports the approval of a new electoral law, then electing a new president and afterwards proceeding with the parliamentary elections, he stressed the need to include the parliamentary electoral law to the agenda of the parliamentary sessions.
Concerning the regional situation, Zahra said that Israel does not pose a threat to the nuclear deal, adding that there is a practical aspect to the reassurance given by Washington to its allies over the agreement.
“The Iranian situation on the field right now is a lot different than it was before in terms of a 'sense of revolution',” he stated.
Iran and six world powers reached a deal on Tuesday, capping more than a decade of negotiations with an agreement that could transform the Middle East.
Under the deal, sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union and the United Nations will be lifted in return for Iran agreeing long-term curbs on a nuclear program that the West has suspected was aimed at creating a nuclear bomb.