Skip to main content

Lebanese factions revive bid to fill presidency as Israel attacks

2 min

Israel's offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon has prompted a renewed bid by some leading Lebanese politicians to fill a two-year-long presidential vacuum, an effort to revive the paralysed state as it grapples with an escalating conflict.

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stands next to Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, as he speaks during a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon October 2, 2024. Reuters/Mohamed Azakir

Israel's offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon has prompted a renewed bid by some leading Lebanese politicians to fill a two-year-long presidential vacuum, an effort to revive the paralysed state as it grapples with an escalating conflict.

Lebanon has not had a president or a fully empowered cabinet since October 2022 due to a power struggle in which Hezbollah has played a big part. Along with its allies, the heavily armed Shi'ite Muslim group has insisted the post, reserved for a Maronite Christian, go to their Christian ally Suleiman Frangieh.

With Hezbollah reeling from the killing of its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the presidency came into renewed focus this week when Shi'ite Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally, indicated flexibility on the matter, telling Prime Minister Najib Mikati he supported the election of a president who doesn't represent "a challenge" to anyone.

A Hezbollah official told Reuters the group had delegated Berri to negotiate on its behalf over the presidency.

The presidency is decided by a vote in Lebanon's 128-seat parliament. No single political alliance has enough seats to impose its choice, meaning an understanding among rival blocs is needed to secure the election of a candidate.

Following a meeting on Wednesday with Berri and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, Mikati - a Sunni Muslim - read a joint statement calling for the election of a "consensus president who will reassure everyone and dispel their concerns".

The statement did not name any candidates.

Israel is waging a major offensive against Hezbollah which has killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon since Sept. 16 and uprooted one million.

Wael Abu Faour, a senior lawmaker from Jumblatt's faction, told Reuters the election of a consensus president would send "a message to the outside world that there is a strong government in the country ready to negotiate" over a ceasefire.

He said the meeting of the three leaders did not represent the formation of a new alliance and that factions including Christian parties were being engaged in discussions on the presidency.

The Lebanese Forces party, a major Christian faction and fierce Hezbollah opponent, on Monday called for the election of a president, saying this was the only way for "the state to assume its responsibilities on its own" - implicit criticism of Hezbollah over its possession of a massive arsenal of weapons.

Lebanon's last president, Michel Aoun, was a former army commander and a political ally of Hezbollah.

A senior Western diplomat who did not wish to be named said Western and Arab nations had been urging Lebanon's politicians to elect a president, adding that it was also in the interest of Hezbollah for the political conundrum to be resolved so the state could take more of the "weight" of the Israel crisis.

Abu Faour said the three leaders also discussed avoiding internal tensions in Lebanon as a result of the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people from Hezbollah-controlled areas into other parts of the country.

By Laila Bassam and Tom Perry

Related

United Nations

Top UN envoy in Lebanon calls for truce, UN resolution enforcement

A call by the U.S. and France for a 21-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah "is still on the table," said the top U.N. official in Lebanon on Wednesday as she pushed for a way to enforce a U.N. Security Council resolution violated for years by both sides.

Lebanon

France to host Lebanon conference on Oct 24

France will hold an international ministerial conference over the crisis in Lebanon on Oct. 24 that will focus on the political situation there and humanitarian aid amid an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, the foreign ministry said.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.