Berri and Le Drian’s interactions: insights

“Lebanon Debate”

The only conclusion drawn by French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian’s meetings over the past two days appears to be the need to address the issue of the presidential vacuum in depth through discussions or consultations away from any other topics in contact with this file.

Member of the "Liberation and Development" bloc, MP Dr. Qassem Hashem, revealed that during all of his meetings, particularly his visit to Ain al-Tineh in front of Speaker Nabih Berri, Le Drian only talked about the importance of these consultations without mentioning any other matter or coming forward with a proposal, as some political circles promoted.

In an interview with Lebanon Debate, MP Hashem addresses what Le Drian discussed in his meeting with the Speaker of the Council. Hashem clarifies that this meeting was only devoted to presenting the importance of consultation in the presidential file, explaining that the Arabic vocabulary employed was extensive. It included terms like consultation, communication, discussion, or meeting, all of which mean dialogue. Hashem stated, "The story started with holding consultations and meetings in order to achieve the presidential elections."

Hashem pointed out that the French envoy focused on the importance of electing the president, as Lebanon needs the work of institutions to face the challenges the country is going through and to prepare for what the next stage may require.

In response to a question about Le Drian's proposals, Hashem asserts that he only tackled the consultation file and did not suggest any alternative for “consultation”. This included neither the third presidential option nor other options and formulas related to the presidential election. Furthermore, he did not discuss the southern file or the connection between the files of the presidency and the south.
In this context, Hashem wishes to emphasize that Le Drian's meeting with the PM was cordial and positive, contrary to how some tried to portray it.

In summary, Hashem asserted that "our political team has clearly stated that the presidential file is not related to the Gaza war. Therefore, if consultations take place, we can proceed to elections through successive sessions. This can be achieved provided that the council's functionality remains intact amidst these exceptional circumstances. It is crucial to note that if the election sessions had been kept open for months, we would have reached a vacuum in the army leadership, for example, due to the inability to hold a session."

Accordingly, Hashem speaks of "flexibility" by pointing out that "Berri urges for consecutive electoral sessions, not open. This implies that the session will be held in several consecutive meetings, concluding at a specified time and reopening either the next day or later on the same day."

In response to a question about the outcome of Le Drian's proposal to the Elysee, Hashem said that he conveyed Lebanese’s position on the presidency file and dialogue, awaiting the Elysee's decision regarding this issue and any potential comprehensive proposal.

هذا ما دار بين بري ولودريان