Winds of Arab and international support have blown to nominate the Army Commander General Joseph Aoun for the presidency. According to what sources told Nidaa Al-Watan, the Quintet Committee for Lebanon is inclined to endorse the nomination of the Army Commander, with Qatar and Iran taking on the role of promoting it due to their diplomatic ties.
This article is originally published in, translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al-Watan.
This information comes ahead of the expected arrival of the French presidential envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, in Beirut next Monday, amid the backdrop of a presidential dialogue initiative by Speaker Nabih Berri that is facing challenges following a dispute between Berri's circles and the Free Patriotic Movement, which seemed supportive of this initiative.
What about the details of this development in the Quintet Committee's stance?
According to sources closely related to the Committee who spoke to Nidaa Al-Watan, the Committee is now in its entirety at the stage of going for a "second chance" in the presidential race and "adopting a new candidate, without implying in advance that this opportunity will succeed."
"However, all the focus is now on the opportunity associated with the Army Commander, and efforts will be made to exert the necessary pressure in this direction. This pressure may translate positively or not, depending on internal obstacles," the sources continued.
The sources added, "We have now entered a serious phase regarding the Army Commander. There is pressure and momentum in this direction. Qatar has been tasked with this internally and with Iran in an attempt to push this phase towards the option of the Commander."
"If matters reach an impasse, another option will be considered. However, there is a strong conviction in Lebanon that there cannot be a president except within the framework of consensus among the Lebanese, which is the gateway to restoring stability and the required institutional order," the sources said.
They concluded by saying, "Le Drian's upcoming visit to Lebanon will be his last before Qatar takes on the mission from the French side, based on Doha's relationship with Iran and all parties, with the delegation of authority from the Quintet Committee."
"Qatar will work towards a second opportunity for the presidential election, following a prolonged vacuum since the end of last October."
In a related context, the presidential election was featured in the stance of the former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt during his meeting with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi in Moukhtara.
He said, "The Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian comes to us at the same time as the visit of 'the demarcation man' Amos Hochstein, and both have declared their support for the completion of the presidential elections. Excellent. How? Can we 'demarcate' Baabda, Mr. Hochstein? And can we facilitate the elections, Mr. Abdollahian?"
The Patriarch's visit to Moukhtara is part of a visit to Al Jabal, upon the invitation of the Sheikh Akl of the Unitarian Druze Community, Sami Abi Al-Muna, to consolidate the reconciliation that took place between the late Maronite Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir and former MP Walid Jumblatt 22 years ago.
In the view of observers of Patriarch al-Rahi's visit, Al Jabal's reconciliation, which is the theme of the visit, represents the memory of the "Independence Uprising" in 2005, which "reestablished the bridges that the Syrian occupation regime had prevented from being built among the Lebanese when it was overseeing Lebanon until that date."
They said, "The historic Independence Uprising came after the Israeli withdrawal in 2000, the death of President Hafez al-Assad in the same year, and the notable stance of MP Jumblatt in parliament at the time."
The observers continued, "There was a path towards the unity of the Lebanese, and this is what should have happened after the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1989, but it did not happen due to the Syrian regime's obstruction of Lebanese political meetings and intimidation of the Lebanese."
They concluded by saying, "The Patriarch's visit to Al Jabal is a consecration of this reconciliation, Lebanese communal unity, and the shared vision for Lebanon."