Hussein Dakroub| The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s latest initiative to break the nearly 5-month-old presidential impasse has set political activity into motion with a view to reaching “a package deal” that would set the stage for a smooth extension of Parliament’s mandate and the election of a new president.
Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk met separately Tuesday with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, Kataeb Party chief Amine Gemayel and former President Michel Sleiman to brief them on the outcome of Hariri’s talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai in Rome Monday night.
“The interior minister’s visits to the three leaders were aimed at informing them about Hariri’s initiative to break the presidential deadlock,” political sources told The Daily Star. “Efforts are underway to reach a package deal that would extend Parliament’s mandate for two years and seven months and elect a new president,” the sources said.
According to the sources, even after the extension of Parliament’s term, which expires on Nov. 20, the deal calls for the election of a president to be followed by parliamentary polls six months later.Hariri, who held talks with Rai in Rome centering on the presidential crisis, called on the March 8 and March 14 parties to reach consensus on a new president as the only way to resolve the crisis that has left Lebanon without a head of state for nearly five months.
He also said a new extension of Parliament’s mandate was essential to prevent the country from entering the unknown.
However, MP Walid Jumblatt sounded downbeat about the presidential election being held soon, citing regional tensions as a reason.
“At present, there is no regional umbrella to elect a president. I don’t see an American-Iranian dialogue or an Iranian-Saudi dialogue about Lebanon,” Jumblatt said in an interview with OTV station, which is affiliated with FPM.
In order to break the presidential stalemate, Jumblatt called on rival leaders to meet together to agree on a successor to Sleiman.
Jumblatt voiced support for the extension of Parliament’s mandate in the absence of a president.
“How can you hold [parliamentary] elections in the absence of a president? It’s better not to take risks and to go instead for the extension [of Parliament’s term] conditional on the election of a president,” he said.
During his visit to Rome, Hariri met Tuesday with Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini and Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti to discuss the security situation in Lebanon, the presidential election and the presence of more than 1 million Syrian refugees on Lebanese territory.
Hariri said he asked Mogherini for Italy’s assistance to help Lebanon cope with the burden of the Syrian refugees. “As I said yesterday after meeting the patriarch, we will work hard on the presidential issue and the possibility of making a new initiative after the extension of Parliament’s mandate.”
On the threat of ISIS and Nusra Front facing the country, Hariri stressed that terrorists would not find a hospitable environment within the Sunni community in Lebanon, while strongly rejecting any attack on the Army.
The former premier refuted claims that Sunnis have created an environment that encourages terrorism.
“Most Sunnis in Lebanon or all of them are moderate. Today, some are trying to portray them as if they are encouraging terrorism,” Hariri said.
“Our position as the Future Movement is that ISIS poses a threat to all of Lebanon and the region too,” he said. “With regard to ISIS, we will not compromise at all. They [ISIS militants} are terrorists. They have fought the Lebanese and the Lebanese Army and we will fight them because they have nothing to do with Islam.”
Hariri reaffirmed the Future Movement’s support for the Lebanese Army in its battle against terrorism. “We shall confront anyone, including Sunnis, who seek to attack the Army,” he said.
Hariri confirmed that he plans to return to Lebanon permanently after living in self-imposed exile for approximately three years for security reasons.