Lebanese presidential race enters new phase with open confrontation

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The Lebanese presidential election process has entered a new phase of open confrontation after the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, announced his support for the candidacy of Sleiman Frangieh. This was expected after the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, had already made his position.

However, the official announcement of Frangieh's candidacy by Nasrallah was met with the following statement by sources within the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM): "As if nothing has happened."

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Forces (LF) party accused Nasrallah of acting against the interests of Lebanon and keeping the country within the failed equation of isolation and collapse.

The Kataeb party was not surprised by Nasrallah's announcement and sources declared that they will do everything possible to prevent a March 8 candidate from reaching the presidency, even if it leads to a parliamentary stalemate.

Simultaneously, the Democratic Gathering sources chose not to comment on Nasrallah's statement and Frangieh's candidacy.

However, MP Waddah Sadek tweeted that the official announcement of Frangieh's candidacy was the beginning of serious work to elect a president, as there is now political, legislative, and electoral balance. He added that the solution may be closer than we think.

On the other hand, the Deputy Paula Yacoubian, on the behalf of Change bloc, declared that they would not vote for Frangieh as president.

The National Moderation Bloc, through the words of MP Ahmed Al-Khayr, considered that any presidential candidate who can secure the quorum of 86 votes needs two fundamental guarantees: Internal cover and Arab cover from Saudi Arabia and the international community. He then stressed to LBCI that they would be partners in a scenario to elect a president with 65 votes.

With Frangieh's official entry into the race for the presidency, the election process has entered a new phase. And the battle is now about getting Frangieh to the Presidential Palace in Baabda.

However, the presidential election is a key factor in Lebanon's political stability, which has been suffering from a protracted political and economic crisis, and a failure to elect a president would only exacerbate the situation.