Shiite Duo’s position on Joseph Aoun’s election revealed

Hezbollah and the Amal Movement remain opposed to the nomination of Army Chief Joseph Aoun for Lebanon’s presidency, according to a report by al-Jadeed TV on Wednesday.

The Shiite Duo maintains its position that electing Aoun would require a constitutional amendment, which they firmly oppose. Their sources reiterated that their primary choice for the presidency remains Suleiman Franjieh, while they are open to considering other candidates, including Major General Elias al-Bayssari. However, they emphasized that they would not support a president whose election would violate the constitution or compromise national sovereignty, indirectly referencing Aoun.

According to the Lebanese constitution, senior civil servants, such as Aoun, must vacate their positions at least six months before being eligible for the presidency.

The report also noted that Hezbollah and Amal continue to hold discussions and coordinate with the Free Patriotic Movement. However, they will not officially announce their candidate before the presidential election session.

Later in the day, al-Jadeed reported that MP Mohammad Raad from Hezbollah conveyed to French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian that Hezbollah would not obstruct a broad Lebanese consensus on a presidential candidate.