Frangieh Moved Forward from Past Grievances

“Lebanon Debate”

The editor-in-chief of the newspaper “al-Liwaa”, writer and analyst Salah Salam, shed light on the widespread support for parliamentary consultations before presidential elections. He revealed that the Quintet Committee has reached an agreement with Nabih Berri to initiate consultations.

Additionally, he noted that the National Moderation Bloc’s initiative to advocate for parliamentary consultations was inspired by the work of the Quintet to actively address the presidential file. While endeavors broke the ice between political parties, they do not guarantee the election of a president before a ceasefire in Gaza, regardless of any efforts.

During an interview with Lebanon Debate, Salam affirms that the Gaza ceasefire will be manifested in Lebanon through two primary events. Firstly, the reignited efforts of US envoy Amos Hochstein to facilitate calm and finalize the demarcation of land borders. He also presented Lebanon's involvement in regional settlement discussions concerning the Arab-Palestinian conflict and the implementation of a two-state solution. Secondly, the anticipated heightened urgency in addressing the presidential election issue, with the Quintet Committee poised to act swiftly alongside Hochstein's return to Beirut to demarcate the land borders and address the presidential file.

Salam asserts that all current internal movements and endeavors are aimed at compensating for lost time in resolving the presidential deadlock.

In response to the question regarding the perceived "softness" within the opposition front following meetings between “al-Kataeb” and the "Free Patriotic Movement" (FPM), Salam argues that these meetings should not be interpreted as a shift in the opposition's stance. However, he acknowledges the recent developments of Gebran Bassil, MP and leader of the FPM. Bassil's recent stances strayed from the typical Christian party atmosphere. Notably, he has moved past his longstanding animosity with Speaker Nabih Berri and expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue with assurances as well as participate in election sessions. However, Bassil is actively seeking a third candidate within his current movement.

Regarding the stance of the "Shiite duo," Salam confirms that they will not abandon the candidacy of the leader of the "Marada" movement, Sleiman Frangieh, until they know who is the "alternative" and what is the "price" to pay. However, negotiations to determine the third presidential option will not take place before the ceasefire in Gaza. Therefore, the party is not currently obligated to negotiate its presidential option or determine its position in advance. This is because any concession made presupposes having a clear understanding of what will be received in return. These are the pillars of any negotiation process under discussion.

Based on Salam’s opinion, Frangieh’s initiative regarding the two Christian candidates was mainly directed at the Christian community. He intended to convey the message that if Christian conflicts are obstructing the presidential election, Christians should take part in a presidential election session. However, the FPM and al-Kataeb do not endorse this initiative. Other parties, like the Shiite Duo, are also opposing this endeavor.

Nevertheless, the importance of this initiative resides in the fact that Frangieh spearheaded it, commemorating the Ehden massacre. It serves as a symbol of genuine reconciliation, transparency, and moving forward from past grievances.


In response to a question about Bkerke's role, Salam notes that Bkerke alone cannot unify the Christian position. Despite repeated attempts, it lacks the necessary support from the Vatican to accomplish this task.

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