Presidential file stalls again, media reports say

Lebanon's presidential election has stalled again, several local media reports said Monday.

Therefore, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri will not call for any electoral session unless there are new developments, al-Joumhouria newspaper said.

The daily added that the opposition has not changed its stance regarding the nomination of former finance minister Jidah Azour.

Mired in a crippling economic crisis since 2019, Lebanon has been governed by a caretaker cabinet for more than a year and without a president for more than eight months.

No group has a clear majority in parliament and lawmakers have failed 12 times to elect a new president, amid bitter divisions between the Shiite Duo MPs who back Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh and the opposition backing Azour.

The FPM, an old Hezbollah ally, refuses Franjieh and has agreed with the opposition on Azour.

French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian had arrived last month in Beirut to end the political impasse. He met with officials, party heads and other politicians.

Al-Joumhouria said then that the outcome of Le Drian’s visit was not encouraging and many media reports expected a protracted presidential vacuum.

Le Drian is set to return to Beirut in July. Meanwhile, he is preparing for a visit to Riyadh, Nidaa al-Watan said. He will reportedly discuss with the officials in Saudi Arabia and Qatar the outcome of his consultations in Lebanon and the results of the meetings that he held with the Lebanese parties.