Imad Marmal – Republic
Irrespective of whether the formation of the government will precede the election of the President of the Republic or if the opposite is true, but what is certain is that the glare of the presidential election has begun to shine in the political arena, and that the discussion about the names nominated to enter the Baabda Palace is advanced with “political common sense” over the debate on the names of the ministers who will enter the government. supposed.
Weeks away from the start of the constitutional deadline for the election of the president, it seems clear that the name of Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh is still among the leaders in the race to Baabda, without negating the possibility that the cards will mix again and the order of the “runners” will change in the distance from the finish line.
Al-Laqluq’s lunch between the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Representative Gibran Bassil, and Franjieh’s ally, MP Farid Al-Khazen, came to unleash political imaginations, while insiders confirm that the significance of the meeting was inflated, without underestimating its importance at the same time, noting that Al-Khazin visited Franjieh yesterday in Bnachi and briefed him on the outcome of his meeting Bassil.
Perhaps the most comfortable with the improvement of the current-Marada relationship is “Hezbollah”, because this would facilitate its endeavor, when the moment of truth strikes, to reach an understanding with its two allies over the name of the presidential candidate.
Most likely, the party will give priority to trying to elect a president allied with the resistance, before looking into any other scenario if the first option is difficult. Consequently, between Franjieh and Bassil, he will most likely choose the one who has the greatest chance of reaching, that is, the one who has the preference to secure a parliamentary quorum and win a majority of 65 votes after the first session.
MP Tony Franjieh told Al-Jumhuriya that there was prior communication between Bassil and Al-Khazen, which was activated through their direct meeting, which falls within the context of breaking what remained of the ice and completing the reconciliation that began with the Franjieh-Basil meeting under the auspices of the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Mr. Hassan. Nasrallah.
Franjieh calls for placing the Laqlouq meeting within its realistic framework, explaining that the presidential election was discussed carefully, “but it was not the main dish on the lunch table.”
He points out that another meeting between Basil and Franjieh is possible when necessary, and there is no longer a complex that prevents it from happening at any time. He adds that all possibilities are possible and we have no problem in this regard.
Franjieh notes that the general atmosphere at this stage indicates that his father is a presidential candidate, “and many agree that his name is among the names proposed seriously, but it is too early to go from now to final conclusions, as we are still in the stage of crystallizing the picture.”
And he continues: It is true that Suleiman Franjieh represents a clear line in politics, but at the same time he has the ability to communicate with all Lebanese parties and deal with them in a flexible and not offensive manner, “and this is one of the elements of his strength.”
Franjieh considers that the relationship with the Free Movement is improving, “but it is not yet known where it can reach and whether it will lead to a presidential understanding or not?”
He points out that external intersections have traditionally facilitated the election of the president of the republic in Lebanon, “but it is necessary in the end to return to the interior to obtain the parliamentary majority required to elect the president, and therefore the Lebanese political forces must bear their responsibility.”