Hezbollah Official Calls for New President as Prelude to Exit Crisis, Start Reforms

Alwaght- Lebanon's Hezbollah Deputy chief Sheikh Naeem Qassem called for the political factions to agree on a president candidate to pave the way for reforms in the country and end a political crisis the country has been grappling with for months. 

The future president should have the power to unite the Lebanese and address what is priority for the country, he said during a meeting with Water and Energy Committee's members in the government. 

He warned that if Lebanon fails to pick a new president, it would fail to improve the social and economic conditions and embark on real reform. 

Qassem added that all factions should work towards a new president because no faction has full majority in the new parliament. 

The Hezbollah official criticized some choices as serving foreign agenda and would work against Lebanon's interests. 

“We call for a choice who is agreed upon by all parliamentary factions,” he said, adding: “If you really think that the issue of resistance is a sticking point in the case of the presidency, let's solve it through dialogue and appoint a president who has the power to save the country with the participation of all Lebanese in the economic issue and who can manage the dialogue in a way to unite all Lebanese to defend the country and then see what result we will reach.” 

He elaborated on the Hezbollah actions to end the political crisis, saying that the movement's decisions are not seeking personal interests, rather they work for national interests and for building a strong Lebanon. 

“Whatever we have done, we have not sought political achievement, nor have we wanted to dominate the president post or other positions of power, as some people think, or to impose the president of our choice on others. Rather, in the first place, we want Lebanon to remain strong against the Zionist enemy with its resistance and its army and nation.” 

He further said that Lebanon needs a president who does not serve the foreign actors but work for the independence of the nation. 

The presidency of Michel Aoun ended on October 30, and since then, Lebanon has been in political uncertainty. A president is necessary to name a prime minister. 

So far, several choices have been named for the president but political factions failed to agree on one of them.