In a significant development that could reshape Lebanon's political landscape, signals of a potential alliance between opposition forces and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) have emerged.
The announcement came from the Leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, on Saturday in Jbeil, in the presence of former President Michel Aoun.
Bassil declared that they had found common ground with other parliamentary blocs on the nomination of Jihad Azour for the presidency, among other suitable candidates.
This convergence marks an important milestone in their efforts to demonstrate unity and agreement.
This was completed with the positions launched from Deputy Michel Mouawad's office, chosen by opposition deputies from the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb, and renewed with some Change MPs and independents intentionally because Mouawad was the opposition's primary candidate. He participated in this competition with competence, and he willingly agreed to withdraw in favor of a candidate with a higher percentage of votes.
Of the twelve reformist deputies, the data show that two firmly refuse to elect Azour: Cynthia Zarazir and Halima Qaaqour, and three support his election: Mark Daw, Wadah Al-Sadek, and Michel Douaihy. As for the remaining seven, they have not taken a final position, but most of them lean towards supporting Azour.
The Democratic Gathering, which will announce its final stance on Tuesday, is initially inclined towards supporting Jihad Azour.
However, its sources mentioned that the focus lies not only on backing Azour but also ensuring a smooth transition to the presidency by preparing the necessary groundwork. This requires additional efforts to achieve a quasi-consensus without encountering any constitutional hurdles or exacerbating bilateral concerns.
Furthermore, deputies of the Moderation Bloc are all cautious due to the lack of clarity surrounding the situation amidst the disagreement among the six deputies regarding the name.
Before deciding to call for the twelfth session to elect the president, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri awaited the accompanying information for announcing Azour's nomination and how it will be done. Does it represent a mere nomination or conceal seriousness, as stated by sources from the Development and Liberation Bloc, who added that Berri is prepared to schedule the session as soon as possible if it proves to be fruitful.
However, according to sources familiar with their position, Hezbollah continues to stand by its candidate, Sleiman Frangieh, the Leader of the Marada Movement, until the end.
The party has not formulated an alternative plan. These sources indicate that Hezbollah will participate if a session is convened, but they believe it will not produce a president. They anticipate repeating the scenario witnessed in the Maouad-blank ballot sessions until a viable settlement, primarily proposed by the French, is achieved.