Lebanese elections: Frangieh maintains presidential bid as support...

3^min

Report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Marada Movement leader Sleiman Frangieh expressed reluctance to withdraw from Lebanon's presidential race without clarity on who the next president will be and the basis for such a decision.

While Frangieh has a strong relationship with the frontrunner, Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, he insists that any decision to step aside rests solely with him.

Sources close to Frangieh revealed that his Wednesday evening announcement reaffirming his candidacy was, in part, a message to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Frangieh emphasized that his presidential bid remains his decision, particularly after receiving 51 votes in the June election session, supported by multiple parliamentary blocs, including Hezbollah.

Notably, Hezbollah has not indicated any shift away from backing Frangieh.

Attempts by Amal Movement officials, MP Ali Hassan Khalil and Ahmad Baalbaki, to convince Frangieh to endorse alternative candidates reportedly failed.

Even a request for the political advisor of Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hussein Khalil to intervene was declined, with Khalil stating he had already urged Frangieh to step aside twice in Lebanon's presidential history—for Emile Lahoud and Michel Aoun—and would not do so again.

While Speaker Berri's sources refrained from commenting on Frangieh's remarks, they noted that his candidacy remains suspended.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Gathering bloc has thrown its support behind General Joseph Aoun. According to bloc sources, the decision was based on several factors.

The first point was to create momentum for finalizing candidate nominations ahead of the January 9 parliamentary session.

The second factor was that General Aoun was seen as having strong Christian political and popular support.

As for the third, Aoun is endorsed by the United States and Saudi Arabia, with no opposition from France or Qatar. Additional support from nations like Jordan and Turkey positions him as a candidate capable of securing critical political and economic aid for Lebanon.

When asked about Amal's stance on endorsing Aoun, sources stated that the Development and Liberation bloc would decide collectively and issue an official statement in due course.