The opposition's political approach amid the presidential vacuum

The Lebanese Parliament's opposition, along with several independent and Change MPs, is deliberating on its stance regarding the call made by the French President's Special Representative and former Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, on behalf of the Quintet Committee.

The call aims to reach an agreement on the specifications that the President of the Republic should possess and the responsibilities entrusted to them to end the prolonged presidential vacuum pending the required assurances and clarifications on a range of concerns and questions, and it can build on the requirement.

This article was originally published in and translated by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.

Sources from the opposition leadership revealed that representatives from the opposition called for open meetings immediately after Le Drian's departure. The purpose is to unify their stance on the roadmap he outlined on behalf of the Quintet Committee to resolve the presidential vacuum issue and elect a president who can restore constitutional order to the institutions.

The open meetings began last Thursday and included the participation of Sami Gemayel, the head of the Kataeb party, along with MPs Ghassan Hasbani and George Adwan (Lebanese Forces party), Michel Moawad (Renewal Movement), Waddah Sadek, Michel Douaihy, and Mark Daou (Change), with the expectation that other independent MPs will join later.

During the meetings, participants divided into two stances: The first believes it is futile to respond to the call for working and discussion meetings to agree on the President's specifications and tasks as long as the Amal-Hezbollah duo insists on supporting the nomination of former MP Sleiman Frangieh, the head Marada Movement, for the presidency and shows no willingness to consider an alternative candidate who meets the specifications set by the Quintet Committee at its meeting in Doha, attended by representatives from the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and Le Drian.

According to the sources, those who hold this opinion argue that the specifications do not apply to Frangieh.

On the other hand, the second stance aligns with the first but does not support the opposition's non-participation in the discussions led by Le Drian upon his return to Beirut in September. They argue that acting as a substitute for the resistance axis is unacceptable by obstructing the election sessions.