Bkerki favors consultations over Berri’s dialogue

During a Monday meeting in Bkerki with ambassadors from the five-nation group dedicated to Lebanon, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi expressed his bewilderment at the calls for dialogue to choose a new president. Bkerki’s spokesperson, Walid Ghayad, highlighted al-Rahi’s concern, questioning the necessity of bypassing the constitution, which he regards as the supreme law.

Ghayad emphasized that key political positions such as the Parliament Speaker and Prime Minister were filled without the need for dialogue, criticizing such discussions as unproductive.

Lebanon has been in a presidential void since Michel Aoun’s tenure concluded in October 2022, with the political landscape divided in a way that prevents either main faction, including Hezbollah and its adversaries, from securing enough votes for a presidential election.

Despite persistent appeals from the international community and the five-nation group, consisting of the U.S., France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt, for Lebanese leadership to resolve the ongoing political deadlock and financial crisis, the country remains leaderless.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s suggestion for dialogue to break the presidential stalemate was declined by both the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement. In response, the National Moderation parliamentary bloc initiated a call in February for parliamentary consultations followed by electoral sessions, a move that was welcomed by Bkerki, the FPM, and the LF, though not positively received by Hezbollah.

Berri later claimed to have orchestrated this initiative, advising the bloc to use “consultations” rather than “dialogue” and stating his intention to lead the proposed meeting, called by the Parliament’s General Secretariat.

Ghayad expressed concern that Berri’s push for dialogue might set a precedent that could delay resolving the presidential vacancy, suggesting that direct consultations as proposed by the National Moderation bloc would have been a more straightforward and effective approach.

The meeting between al-Rahi, Berri, and the five-nation group ambassadors also saw al-Rahi urging adherence to the constitution as the most direct route to democratic processes. Following their discussions with Berri and al-Rahi, the group is set to continue its diplomatic efforts with former President Michel Aoun and other political entities in the coming month.