Le Drian's visit postponed amid Lebanon's leadership crisis

Western diplomatic sources reported that the Quintet Committee for Lebanon, comprising Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, France, and the United States, has not yet drawn a roadmap for resolving the presidential election crisis and the aftermath.

The committee is waiting for a clear response from the country's leaders and a solid determination to reach a solution that satisfies all parties.

This article is originally published in, translated from Lebanese newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.

During the meeting in Doha, most committee members focused on the post-presidential phase, aiming to outline a roadmap to navigate the country out of its political crisis, avoiding the idea of "bargaining between the presidency and the government, with each from different political teams."

While Jean-Yves Le Drian mentioned the name of Frangieh, no other presidential candidate's name was mentioned, according to the source.

The meeting resulted in curbing France's hurry to initiate a "Lebanese dialogue" and postponed the visit of French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian to Lebanon.

French sources told "Al-Sharq Al-Awsat" that Le Drian would conduct consultations with the parties comprising the Quintet Committee before returning to Beirut.

The sources also revealed an inclination to discuss "tough measures" against those obstructing progress during the next committee meeting, scheduled in France in September, with possible "executive steps and decisive decisions" to be issued by the Quintet Committee.

On the other hand, the past few days have witnessed an increase in bank depositors storming banks in an attempt to access their funds. The associations monitoring the depositors' funds file have threatened significant escalation, vowing a "revolution" that they describe as a "hell" for the bank owners.