Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah advised political rivals to avoid electing a so-called “confrontation president.”
During Thursday’s election session, the Lebanese Forces (LF) and its allies voted for MP Michel Mouawad, who garnered 36 votes. Whereas Hezbollah and its allies reportedly cased 63 blank votes.
The Hezbollah-led camp is “yet to agree” on a single candidate and media reports have said that Hezbollah is trying to convince Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) chief Gebran Bassil to endorse the nomination of Marada Movement leader Suleiman Frangieh
“Thursday’s election session confirmed that those who want to elect a president for Lebanon must avoid the approach of confrontation,” Nasrallah said in a televised address.
“How can you build a country with a confrontation president who wants to confront a large part of the Lebanese people who support the resistance and the choice of resistance?” He added.
Hezbollah’s support has significantly decreased among the general populace over the last several years. Videos emerged during the last parliamentary elections showing blatant voter fraud. Claims that a large part of the Lebanese people support them are unfounded.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea had repeatedly called for the election of a president who would confront the policies of Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement.