Saudi Ambassador Calls on the Lebanese to Elect a President

Saudi Ambassador Calls on the Lebanese to Elect a President
TT
20

Saudi Ambassador Calls on the Lebanese to Elect a President

Saudi Ambassador Calls on the Lebanese to Elect a President

The Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid al-Bukhari, renewed his call to speed up the Lebanese presidential elections.

Bukhari met Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib on Monday during his tour with Lebanese political figures.

"We share the same desire with the international community to see the completion of the presidential elections [in Lebanon] as soon as possible," Bukhari stressed following the meeting.

"I want Lebanon to be, as it was, an oasis of thought and culture of life, and for its people to enjoy prosperity."

Meanwhile, political parties are yet to agree on the presidential candidates. The Shiite duo of Hezbollah and the Amal movement support the head of the Marada Movement, Suleiman Frangieh, while the opposition still needs to agree on a candidate.

If the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, joins the opposition in rejecting Franjieh's candidacy, it would be reflected positively in their favor.

Sources of the Lebanese Forces party stressed that the opposition parties are in talks to unify their position, confirming they have yet to agree on a nominee.

They told Asharq Al-Awsat that if the Lebanese Forces could agree with the Free Patriotic Movement, they would secure the parliamentary majority with over 65 votes.

However, they indicated that Bassil has made a decision, realizing that agreeing with the opposition puts Hezbollah before the fait accompli. He is trying to ensure Hezbollah would back down from supporting Frangieh.

The sources renewed their call on Speaker Nabih Berri to hold open sessions to elect the president.

They believe holding open sessions would lead to naming a candidate who embodies the aspirations of the Lebanese and not a candidate of the axis of resistance.

They accused the axis of resistance of misleading the public, claiming a positive atmosphere in favor of its candidate, despite local and international conditions.

Asked about the Lebanese Forces' boycott of the election session if it favored Frangieh, the sources indicated that the other parties couldn't have more than 50 votes.

The opposition is currently divided between supporting former ministers Jihad Azour and Ziad Baroud, army commander General Joseph Aoun, and former lawmaker Salah Honien.



Lebanon Braces for Repercussions of Iran-Israel Conflict

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
TT
20

Lebanon Braces for Repercussions of Iran-Israel Conflict

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)

Lebanon remained on high political alert amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, as officials worked to assess and contain the potential repercussions of the conflict on the country’s fragile stability.

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian emphasized the importance of Lebanon distancing itself from the conflict.

President Joseph Aoun is closely monitoring the unfolding situation and received briefings on the latest developments and the regional and international diplomatic efforts underway to defuse it.

Aoun is in continuous contact with security leaders, in line with the outcomes of a national security meeting held at the Baabda Palace on Saturday, said a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

The president also oversaw efforts to facilitate the return of Lebanese nationals stranded abroad after airlines canceled flights to Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport and neighboring countries closed their airspace due to the rising regional tensions.

Saudi Ambassador Bukhari met with Grand Mufti Derian at Dar al-Fatwa to extend Eid al-Adha greetings and congratulate him on performing the Hajj upon invitation from the Saudi royal protocol.

The meeting also served as an opportunity to discuss Lebanese and regional affairs.

According to a statement from Dar al-Fatwa’s media office, the officials stressed the need for Lebanon to disassociate itself from the Iran-Israel conflict.

They underscored the urgent need for intensified Arab and international diplomatic efforts to curb the language of war and restore rational dialogue. They warned of the dangerous political, economic, and environmental consequences the continued fighting could have on the region.

Despite ongoing Israeli attacks in parts of Lebanon and repeated violations of UN Resolution 1701, the country, they said, must pursue security, peace, and stability.