Lebanese people celebrated Christmas with a dollar exchange rate that exceeded 47,000 LBP. This record was the first in the history of Lebanon.
This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan
Even though the presidential file is still stuck in a political stalemate, some sources claimed that Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai believes there are attempts to elect a president after the holidays. This came in light of talks about a presidential initiative being carried out by MP Gebran Bassil, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM).
Nidaa al-Watan had a series of contacts with various representatives to clarify what was behind Rai's words. However, Strong Republic bloc MP Shawqi Al-Dakash considered that his remarks fell under 'wishful thinking rather than informing.' He also believed that while a conversation is necessary, it should take place 'within the parliament.'
Thus, MP Cesar Abi Khalil claimed that Bassil is the sole rescuer and takes personal initiatives to save the first constitutional position in the country.
However, Progressive Socialist Party MP Bilal Abdullah believed that Bassil is an essential participant in the election process but is not 'the center of the world.'
As for Kataeb Party MP Elias Hanakash, he emphasized the need for constructive dialogue and stressed the request from the Prime Minister to keep the presidential election sessions open.
Meanwhile, MP Qassem Hashem said Speaker Nabih Berri's contact with Rai came to greet the glorious holidays without addressing the presidential file.
On the other hand, Lebanese Forces party leader Samir Geagea sent a delegation from LF to UNIFIL headquarters to support the peacekeeping forces and express condolences to the Irish battalion. It also emphasized the necessity of carrying out international decisions, particularly 1701.
The delegation then underlined the army's role in completing the expansion of legitimacy to all Lebanese areas, emphasizing the risk of illegal weapons and their detrimental effects on social, economic, and security stability.
The most prominent event related to al-Aqabiya incident was the arrest of the main suspect, who was found to be a Hezbollah supporter, in a step that took place in coordination with the party, while the latter denied his involvement in the incident after describing it as an "unintentional incident" between the town's residents and UNIFIL only.
The Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense, Simon Coveney, had stated that unless a thorough investigation was conducted to discover the absolute truth, he did not believe Hezbollah's claims that it was not engaged.