Opposition MPs continue to hold meetings with all parliamentary blocs and some independent MPs. So far, they have met with around 110 MPs. This is happening despite the fierce campaign and the refusal of "Resistance" MPs to meet with the opposition.

Describing the current state of the opposition's initiative, Kataeb MP Elias Hankach told "Al-Diyar" newspaper about the point reached by the opposition in its meetings.

"We presented a roadmap, not a presidential initiative," he clarified, noting that "the practical approach today is to combine all efforts to elect a president. This includes initiatives from House Speaker Berri, the Progressive Socialist Party, the National Moderation bloc, and the Free Patriotic Movement. This is to confirm that we do not oppose dialogue in principle, but we reject making dialogue a mandatory path for electing a president."

"We oppose coercion in the presidential election process. Hezbollah previously stated that no one but Michel Aoun could be president. Today, Berri says there will be no president unless you agree to dialogue. At the same time, we hold parliamentary consultations to appoint a Prime Minister and elect a House Speaker in a single day," he added.

"We proposed holding discussions and dialogues. The second scenario is for Berri to call for an open electoral session, in which we will participate, with discussions happening in the Parliament regardless of the room or whether Berri presides. The important thing for us is to maintain quorum and conduct a session with dialogue under Berri's presidency. Therefore, we reject any imposition on us," he noted.

"Berri should adopt the constitution instead of favoring us with dialogue today, whereas he previously said that the Christians should agree among themselves, and the elections will take place. The Christians agreed to nominate Jihad Azour, but this agreement was not taken into consideration," he went on to say.

Hankach believed that "Hezbollah does not want a president, even if it is Sleiman Frangieh, while it fights wars and negotiates on behalf of the Lebanese people with the international community. In my opinion, no president would accept sitting in Baabda Palace with the country's decisions controlled by the Resistance."

He noted that the meeting with the Development and Liberation bloc was not confirmed, stating, "It was supposed to be scheduled for last Friday, but the bloc postponed it. This group, which calls us to dialogue, refuses to meet with its colleagues in Parliament, especially since the meeting was supposed to take place in the Parliament. This raises questions about the seriousness of the dialogue call."

Regarding the fate of the opposition's petition to Berri to discuss the war in the south, he said, "I have no idea, and I believe time will determine this. I think Berri will refuse to deal with this petition in the same manner he dealt with the opposition's presidential initiative."

He continued, "As an MP representing a group of Lebanese, no one asked me if I agreed to the war and the opening of a distracting front that led to involving Lebanon in a devastating war, displacing southerners, and failing to reduce Israeli crimes in Gaza and stop the war. What wisdom is there in opening this front other than strengthening Iran's negotiating position?"

Hankach lamented that Lebanon has become a battleground for regional conflicts and a message board for warring parties. "

"Berri's talk about an opportunity in July to elect a president was akin to betting on achieving the presidency before Donald Trump becomes the President of the United States," he indicated.

On the new relationship between Berri and Bassil, and whether it is an attempt to encircle the Christian opposition, he affirmed, "The opposition cannot be encircled because everyone is working to maintain its unity. Speaking of the Kataeb Party, everyone made deals without Kataeb, so we are not affected as a party because we are principled and remain steadfast in our positions and principles, even if everyone else gathers elsewhere. In my opinion, what is happening is merely political maneuvering that does not lead to any change in the equation."

Regarding the potential escalation of war following the recent tensions between the Houthis and "Israel," Hankach does not foresee any escalation or expansion of the war.

"If there was to be an escalation, it would have happened months ago. However, the distraction continues, and the rules of engagement remain unchanged, with no side crossing their limits," he concluded.