US diplomatic efforts in Lebanon: Prioritizing presidential elections amidst challenges

As the consultations within the Quintet Committee for Lebanon in New York approach, the Committee is discussing a draft statement to be issued on Tuesday, reaffirming the content of the previous statement after its meeting in Qatar.

The statement reflects what the UN Security Council issued regarding the extension of UNIFIL forces. There have been reports that the Committee may hold a ministerial-level or delegate-level meeting, similar to the United States, which will be represented by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf.

This article was originally published in, translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan.

The meeting will also assess the outcome of the recent visits to Lebanon by French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian.

During an examination of the official information regarding the meeting between Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and US Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, it is evident that Mikati's priority was "the Syrian refugee crisis."

However, Nuland prioritized "expediting the election of a new president." According to sources, Mikati requested a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Nuland held the meeting and warned of "dangers in the south that could have wider implications."

Prominent sources in the opposition revealed the latest developments about the presidential elections. They said, "The prevailing stance among the opposition now is that the primary result of Jean-Yves Le Drian's visit is his call for a third option after the Quintet Committee became convinced that it is time for this option and after it became clear that no party could get its presidential candidate elected.

The sources say, "Despite the opposition's belief that Jihad Azour is part of the third option and that he meets the specifications of the consensus list, it responded positively to the efforts towards a third option. However, the obstruction represented by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah, who insist on their presidential candidate Sleiman Frangieh, remains clear. Thus, they have blocked the path in two directions: the Quintet Committee and its initiative, and the Committee's movement."

The sources add, "Le Drian and the Qatari side hope to score a point with the Iranians. On the other hand, the Saudis seek to form a centrist bloc that considers the intersection due to one team's rejection of the third option. This is how each party works on a solution, but it is certain that the obstruction increasingly focuses on the vacancy issue."

However, the question arises, "Why does Hezbollah insist on its stance, knowing the balance of power and its failure to get its presidential candidate elected after a year of vacancy?" The answer is that "Hezbollah" is waiting for a possible change: either MP Gebran Bassil changes his position, or there is a change in the Saudi stance resulting from Yemeni-Saudi negotiations. Hezbollah sees this as a Saudi point to bet on.

As a result of this overt obstruction of the presidential election, as practiced by the opposition, its consequences on state institutions, particularly the education sector, are evident. In collaboration with the Education and Higher Education Ministry, the Parliamentary Committee for Education, Higher Education, and Culture organized a workshop on the state of the education sector.

During the workshop, Abbas Halabi, the Minister of Education in the caretaker government, warned that "official education is in danger."

He revealed that the number of Syrian students in official schools has risen to two hundred thousand, necessitating new schools opening to accommodate them, which requires additional funds.

He stated, "For us, this also requires asking donor countries to increase the amount given for each student from $140 to what it used to be in the past, which is $600 or at least $400. This would equate Lebanon with what is granted to Syrian students in Jordan and Turkey, which is $600."