Optimism in Lebanese presidential file: Saudi-Iranian harmony and Christian alignment

On Tuesday, a new development emerged in the Quintet Committee's stance regarding the presidential election file. This was affirmed in its meeting with Samir Geagea, the leader of the Lebanese Forces party. 

This article was originally published in and translated from the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al-Watan.

According to "Nidaa Al Watan" sources, the five ambassadors announced that the committee seeks "common ground that brings together political forces without violating the constitution." 

This position aligns with the Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, who emphasized it during his meeting with the ambassadors in Bkerké on Monday. He reiterated it in his sermon on Tuesday, stating that he informed the ambassadors "that the path to the solution is outlined in the constitution."

The Quintet Committee's stance also corresponds to what Geagea conveyed to the ambassadors in Maarab, stating, "We cannot discuss the common ground related to the constitutional mechanism, which stipulates an open session with consecutive rounds for the election of the president." 

He welcomed consensus on a "third option" but doubted the opposition team's intentions, which are still "insisting on its project and candidate."

During their visit to Maarab, the Quintet Committee also met with President Michel Aoun and the former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Joumblatt, in the presence of the party leader, MP Teymour Joumblatt. The committee decided to suspend its activities until next month after the holiday break.

The Strong Lebanon Bloc also issued a statement after its meeting chaired by MP Gebran Bassil, calling for "the election of a president as soon as possible, through consultation and agreement on a consensus president as an absolute priority, or through elections in open sessions until the election of a president."

As for the Progressive Socialist Party, "Nidaa Al Watan" learned from its sources that the goal of the Quintet Committee's tour is "to listen and attempt to find common ground among the rivals," describing the atmosphere as "positive." 

The sources noted that the party reiterated its constants, considering that "rejecting dialogue is a mistake, and dialogue is necessary to reach an understanding on a president among the rivals." It also affirmed that its role "will continue as a facilitator."

A well-informed source told "Nidaa Al Watan" that the Quintet Committee's optimism stems from "a set of factors related to the internal and regional situations." 

However, this does not mean that the presidency is close, as it requires overcoming many obstacles and clarifying the nature of the positions of the influential countries in the Lebanese decision that has not yet crossed the threshold of constructive ambiguity. 

The source clarified that the most important factors for optimism are "the existing Saudi-Iranian harmony regarding the Lebanese file, Christian convergence on the necessity of transitioning to the third option in the presidential file, and the new and real US position, which lies in rejecting the expansion of the war in the south."