Bukhari: Saudi Arabia Does Not Interfere in Names for Lebanese Presidency

Mufti Darian, Ambassador Bukhari, and the Sunni representatives who attended the meeting (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Mufti Darian, Ambassador Bukhari, and the Sunni representatives who attended the meeting (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Bukhari: Saudi Arabia Does Not Interfere in Names for Lebanese Presidency

Mufti Darian, Ambassador Bukhari, and the Sunni representatives who attended the meeting (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Mufti Darian, Ambassador Bukhari, and the Sunni representatives who attended the meeting (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia does not have any initiative to support any name for the Lebanese presidency or interfere in any name, and stands at an equal distance from everybody, said the Kingdom's Ambassador, Walid Bukhari.

Bukhari asserted the need to implement the Taif Agreement that protects the Lebanese.

Bukhari was speaking at a dinner banquet at his Yarze residence in honor of Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdullatif Derian in the presence of most Sunni MPs.

The Dar al-Fatwa media office indicated that the Mufti thanked Bukhari for the invite and stressed that any meeting that brings together the Lebanese is welcomed.

The statement indicated that Sunni Muslims in Lebanon are a key component of the national choice and decision-making and that they should be united over the Lebanese constants that guarantee everyone's rights.

The Mufti called for commitment and adherence to the Taif Agreement, rejecting and condemning any other stance. He warned that solutions could only be reached through the Accord, which was unanimously agreed upon by the Lebanese and received Arab and international support.

He warned against attempts to convince people that electing a new president is up to one group, asserting that everyone is concerned about choosing a president.

The national dialogue is everyone's demand, said the Mufti, cautioning that it is faltering for several reasons and requires more unity and courage to take immediate initiatives, namely the election of a president and securing the people's needs.

Derian affirmed that failure is unacceptable and that the constitution guarantees the coexistence between Muslims and Christians, ensuring equality and citizenship among all Lebanese.

Dar al-Fatwa seeks to unify the national vision with all political spectrums and religious references, noting that uniting Sunni Muslim lawmakers in the national meeting last year was within this framework.

The meeting specified the characteristics of a president for all the Lebanese, said Derian, asserting that he will spare no effort in cooperation with all concerned parties to reach solutions in collaboration with Arab states, mainly Saudi Arabia.

The Mufti asserted that Saudi Arabia has been and continues to provide support and assistance for Lebanon, reiterating that Dar al-Fatwa and the Lebanese are loyal to the Kingdom and all brotherly and friendly countries that have stood with Lebanon during its crises.

For his part, Ambassador Bukhari reiterated Saudi Arabia's unwavering support for the Lebanese state, institutions, and people.

Saudi Arabia "is exerting permanent and continuous efforts in the quintet committee, and it is presenting the ideas and proposals that contribute to saving Lebanon," Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) quoted the diplomat as saying.

Bukhari indicated that electing a new president is the lawmakers' choice, and the Kingdom only suggests criteria and qualifications, adding that it hopes that a new president is elected as soon as possible.



Lebanon Elects Army Chief as New President

The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
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Lebanon Elects Army Chief as New President

The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)

Lebanon's parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun head of state on Thursday, filling the vacant presidency with a general who enjoys US approval and showing the diminished sway of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group after its devastating war with Israel.
The outcome reflected shifts in the power balance in Lebanon and the wider Middle East, with Hezbollah badly pummelled from last year's war, and its Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad toppled in December.
The presidency, reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system, has been vacant since Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022, with deeply divided factions unable to agree on a candidate able to win enough votes in the 128-seat parliament.
Aoun fell short of the 86 votes needed in a first round vote, but crossed the threshold with 99 votes in a second round, according to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, after lawmakers from Hezbollah and its Shiite ally the Amal Movement backed him.
Momentum built behind Aoun on Wednesday as Hezbollah's long preferred candidate, Suleiman Franjieh, withdrew and declared support for the army commander, and as French envoy shuttled around Beirut, urging his election in meetings with politicians, three Lebanese political sources said.
Aoun's election is a first step towards reviving government institutions in a country which has had neither a head of state nor a fully empowered cabinet since Aoun left office.
Lebanon, its economy still reeling from a devastating financial collapse in 2019, is in dire need of international support to rebuild from the war, which the World Bank estimates cost the country $8.5 billion.
Lebanon's system of government requires the new president to convene consultations with lawmakers to nominate a Sunni Muslim prime minister to form a new cabinet, a process that can often be protracted as factions barter over ministerial portfolios.
Aoun has a key role in shoring up a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel which was brokered by Washington and Paris in November. The terms require the Lebanese military to deploy into south Lebanon as Israeli troops and Hezbollah withdraw forces.
Aoun, 60, has been commander of the Lebanese army since 2017.