Former President Aoun's surprise visit to Syria raises questions, sparks speculation

In a politically intriguing move, former President Michel Aoun, known for his six-year presidency marked by his absence of visits to Syria and meetings with President Bashar al-Assad, made a surprise visit to Syria.

This unexpected development, just a week before the parliamentary session to elect a new president, comes at a time when political tensions have reached their peak between Hezbollah, who supports the presidential candidacy of Sleiman Frangieh, the Marada Movement Leader, and the Free Patriotic Movement, which is aligning with opposition forces to nominate former minister Jihad Azour.

During his visit, Aoun met with President Assad in the presence of former Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul Karim Ali, and former Minister of Presidential Affairs, Pierre Raffoul.

However, while Aoun's sources kept the visit under tight secrecy, the Syrian presidency issued a statement emphasizing Lebanon's strength in its political and economic stability.

The statement also emphasized that the Lebanese people have the ability to achieve stability through dialogue, consensus, and, most importantly, adherence to principles rather than relying on external influences.

This prompts the question: which dialogue was President Assad referring to? Was he alluding to the dialogue proposed by his ally, Hezbollah, which urges all parties to agree on Frangieh as the candidate without a clear plan? Or was he referring to the dialogue advocated by the FPM and opposition forces to reach a consensus on a candidate other than Frangieh?

President Assad pointed out that Syria and Lebanon cannot address their challenges separately, highlighting the recent Arab-Arab rapprochement showcased at the Arab Summit in Jeddah, which he believes will positively impact both Syria and Lebanon.

In response, Aoun affirmed the Lebanese people's commitment to national unity, despite the prevailing circumstances, and stated that Syria has successfully navigated through difficult and dangerous stages thanks to its people's awareness.

As Lebanon prepares to elect a new president, the unexpected meeting between Aoun and Assad has injected a fresh element of uncertainty into an already tense political climate. But, the coming days will determine whether this visit was a turning point or merely a fleeting episode in the complex saga of Lebanese politics.