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Lebanon’s Opposition Awaits ‘Humility’ from Shiite Duo on Presidential Election Approach

Opposition MPs’ Meeting in Maarab – Headquarters of the Lebanese Forces (LF) – Last Week to Discuss Presidential Election (LF)
Opposition MPs’ Meeting in Maarab – Headquarters of the Lebanese Forces (LF) – Last Week to Discuss Presidential Election (LF)
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Lebanon’s Opposition Awaits ‘Humility’ from Shiite Duo on Presidential Election Approach

Opposition MPs’ Meeting in Maarab – Headquarters of the Lebanese Forces (LF) – Last Week to Discuss Presidential Election (LF)
Opposition MPs’ Meeting in Maarab – Headquarters of the Lebanese Forces (LF) – Last Week to Discuss Presidential Election (LF)

Lebanese political factions are stepping up efforts to resolve the presidential crisis, with direct and indirect talks underway ahead of the January 9 election session. Despite these efforts, no final agreement has been reached on a candidate.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri remains firm on the January 9 date, expressing hope it will bring an end to the prolonged presidential deadlock.
Previous candidates appear to be out of the picture. Sleiman Franjieh, leader of the Marada Movement and a key ally of Hezbollah and Amal, has not officially withdrawn but seems sidelined.
Similarly, Jihad Azour, once backed by the opposition and Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil, is no longer in contention.
For now, Hezbollah and Amal have left the decision to Franjieh, who has yet to announce his withdrawal, keeping the situation in flux.
Berri has called for a consensus president, but sources from his “Development and Liberation” bloc say it’s too early to rule out Franjieh’s candidacy, as no alternative has been agreed upon.
They remain optimistic that talks will lead to a unified candidate before the January 9 election, stressing that there is still time to reach an agreement.
The sources also reject the idea that Hezbollah and Amal are politically defeated pointing out that their bloc still holds key veto powers in parliament. They stress that current discussions show their intention to find a consensus solution.
On the other hand, the opposition sees the Shiite bloc as losing regional influence and expects them to reassess their position.
Opposition sources say they set out their vision for the presidency before the October 8 developments, emphasizing that the presidency must help build a real state, not just be a symbolic position.
While the opposition is still assessing the Shiite bloc's willingness to negotiate, they expect them to approach the situation with more realism moving forward.
As talks continue, including new communication channels between Berri and the Lebanese Forces party, no agreement has yet been reached for the upcoming session.
However, opposition sources say they have a clear plan for different outcomes and are ready to move forward as discussions intensify.

 

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UN Envoy to Syria Warns Conflict Not Over

Geir Pedersen, UN Special envoy to Syria, visits Sednaya prison which was known as a slaughterhouse under Syria's Bashar al-Assad rule, after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Bashar al-Assad, in Sednaya, Syria December 16, 2024. (Reuters)
Geir Pedersen, UN Special envoy to Syria, visits Sednaya prison which was known as a slaughterhouse under Syria's Bashar al-Assad rule, after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Bashar al-Assad, in Sednaya, Syria December 16, 2024. (Reuters)
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UN Envoy to Syria Warns Conflict Not Over

Geir Pedersen, UN Special envoy to Syria, visits Sednaya prison which was known as a slaughterhouse under Syria's Bashar al-Assad rule, after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Bashar al-Assad, in Sednaya, Syria December 16, 2024. (Reuters)
Geir Pedersen, UN Special envoy to Syria, visits Sednaya prison which was known as a slaughterhouse under Syria's Bashar al-Assad rule, after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Bashar al-Assad, in Sednaya, Syria December 16, 2024. (Reuters)

Syria's conflict "has not ended" even after the departure of former president Bashar al-Assad, the UN's envoy to the country warned Tuesday, highlighting clashes between Turkish-backed and Kurdish groups in the north.

Geir Pedersen, the UN's special envoy for Syria, also called at the Security Council for Israel to "cease all settlement activity in the occupied Syrian Golan" and said an end to sanctions would be key to assisting Syria.

"There have been significant hostilities in the last two weeks, before a ceasefire was brokered... A five-day ceasefire has now expired and I am seriously concerned about reports of military escalation," he said.

"Such an escalation could be catastrophic."

Pedersen also said he had met with Syria's new de facto leadership following the opposition’s lightning takeover, and toured Sednaya prison's "dungeons" and "torture and execution chambers," operated under Assad's government.

He called for "broad support" for Syria and an end to sanctions to allow for reconstruction of the war-ravaged country.

"Concrete movement on an inclusive political transition will be key in ensuring Syria receives the economic support it needs," Pedersen said.

- 'Attacks on Syria's sovereignty' -

"There is a clear international willingness to engage. The needs are immense and could only be addressed with broad support, including a smooth end to sanctions, appropriate action on designations, too, and full reconstruction."

Western countries are wrestling with their approach to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the takeover of Damascus, and has roots in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda.

It has largely been designated in the West as a "terrorist" group, despite moderating its rhetoric.

Pedersen noted Israel had conducted more than 350 strikes on Syria following the departure of the former regime, including a major strike on Tartous.

"Such attacks place a battered civilian population at further risk and undermine the prospects of an orderly political transition," he said.

The envoy warned against plans announced by Israel's cabinet to expand settlements inside the Golan, occupied by Israel since 1967 and annexed in 1981.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security briefing atop a strategic Syrian peak inside the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights that Israel seized this month.

"Israel must cease all settlement activity in the occupied Syrian Golan, which are illegal. Attacks on Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity must stop," said Pedersen.