Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri affirmed that there is no turning back from consultations as a precondition for inviting lawmakers to a session to elect a President of the Republic.

"I say to those concerned that consultations are the mandatory gateway to elect a president. It is indispensable first and last,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. “Some people's excuses for refusing consultations are baseless. How can we break the deadlock when some are clinging to their positions and showing no willingness to facilitate the electoral process?"

"Where is Lebanon's interest in refusing to engage in a dialogue that could lead us to a consensus on the presidential candidate amid the soaring political division and escalating tensions in the south?" Berri asked.