A Lebanese official highlighted Lebanon’s tight 67-day timeline for gas exploration to determine if gas reserves exist within its territorial waters.
Once identified, another three weeks will be crucial in assessing the volume of the gas, which could influence the characteristics of the upcoming president.
In an interview with Sputnik News agency, Yasin Yasin stated that the presidential election wouldn’t be before the end of November.
He mentioned the Iranian Foreign Minister’s remarks linking economic and financial reforms and aid to the election of a Lebanese president.
This sentiment echoes the tripartite US-Saudi-French statement released in New York on 22 September 2022, which insisted on constitutional timelines for presidential elections.
It also affirmed the need for a president who can unite the Lebanese people and collaborate with regional and international bodies to surpass the ongoing crisis.
Interestingly, Yasin highlighted a kind of alignment between Saudi Arabia‘s stance on Lebanon, disassociating it from Syria, but connecting it with Hezbollah’s influence on the Yemeni file.
He also questioned the change in the stance of the Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri, who initially resisted attending consecutive sessions but now demands a 7-day dialogue prerequisite for back-to-back presidential election sessions.
The invitation was extended to bloc leaders but overlooked independent MPs and the content of the dialogue remains under wraps.
The swift response to the dialogue by the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, is noteworthy, especially following the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah’s recent speech acknowledging advancements in consultations between the Free Patriotic Movement and Hezbollah.
This development sparks questions about the political deals and compromises agreed upon by both parties.
The Lebanese official firmly stated his opposition to the pre-presidential election dialogue, seeing it as unconstitutional. He underlined the commitment of legislators to uphold and enforce constitution and laws.
