Berri 'optimistic' but will parliament succeed in electing president on Jan. 9?
Speaker Nabih Berri, who had called for parliament to convene to elect a president next month, is optimistic that a president will be elected on January 9, a prominent parliamentary source told Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anbaa.
The source said, in remarks published Thursday, the vote would likely be held in open sessions. "If that wasn't Berri's intention, he wouldn't have invited ambassadors to the session."
Berri had said he would invite Arab and foreign ambassadors to attend the presidential election session on January 9.
Another political source told the daily that Berri will propose serious candidates who can enjoy wide acceptance.
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil had called Tuesday on the Lebanese to agree on a new president, after meeting with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan, adding that "the agreement on a president should be reached by the Lebanese" and shouldn't be linked to "events in the region".
Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat will also start a similar initiative and will meet with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in Maarab, pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper reported. The daily said Jumblat will discuss with Geagea a consensual name.
An opposition follow-up committee had met in Maarab on Tuesday and said it will "intensify efforts and contacts with all parliamentary blocs in a bid to agree on a (presidential) candidate enjoying the broadest support, while insisting on the characteristics needed for the phase of building the state."
"We insist that the January 9 session should be open-ended with successive rounds until the election of a president as per the constitution," the committee said in a statement
Al-Akhbar added that Hezbollah and Amal will keep supporting their candidate Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh until a consensus is reached. "If a consensus is not reached, they (Hezbollah and Amal) will vote to Franjieh in a democratic session that would be followed by successive sessions, until a president is elected."
French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian who visited Lebanon last week attended part of the parliamentary session during which Berri called for the presidential election session on January 9.
Following le Drian's visit, Berri said the next president does not have to be close to Amal or Hezbollah, but should not be an opponent to any Lebanese component, including Hezbollah. He said a consensus should be secured over a president who can win 86 votes and who can therefore enjoy a broad national acceptance.
Source: Naharnet
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