Lebanese Parliament to Meet on Wednesday Amid American Pressure
Noland-Barre Connection
The Lebanese parliament is set to meet on Wednesday, but the Americans have not demonstrated involvement in the process. Rather, they have expressed caution and emphasized the urgency of electing a new president and forming a government that will accept economic reforms. As a sign of American pressure, information was leaked that US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland contacted the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri to offer him to lead the election process.
Berri expressed optimism that the electoral process would take place, but it is unclear whether he intends to hold sessions without losing a quorum or whether he intends to hold sessions until they reach a result. Despite this uncertainty, the contact between Nuland and Berri is a sign of American interest at a high level.
Private Messages
Recent months have seen rounds of contacts between Lebanese and Americans about the presidential election and the identity of the future president. There has been great hesitation and personal objections among American figures involved in Lebanese affairs regarding the nomination of candidates for the presidency, with the most controversial figure being former minister Suleiman Frangier. Despite not expressing clear objections against Frangier, some Americans later said they would not support his candidacy.
Azur
The Americans have been vague about their position on the candidacy of former Minister Jihad Azur, who works for the IMF and is in charge of the Middle East region. While the Americans want economic and financial reforms, they have not provided any support for Azur’s specifications. Similarly, when Lebanese opposition blocs withdrew MP Michel Moawad’s candidacy, the Americans did not express objections and were content to hold elections as soon as possible.
Help
The US administration has shown hesitation in recent months, with some employees supporting the commander of the Lebanese army, Joseph Aoun, while others veto him for supporting the demand for line 29 during negotiations with Israel. Despite this, the official position of the administration remains focused on maintaining stability in Lebanon through the election of a president and the formation of a new government that will work towards reforms.
Official Position
The current US administration has accepted the link between aid and reforms from the previous administration, and has introduced the theory of stability and appeasement in 2021. While the Biden administration has threatened sanctions against the Lebanese to continue pushing for the election process, it does not appear to be active enough to be considered a “strong player.”
