The proposal of the parliamentary Change and Reform bloc, headed by Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Michel Aoun, to carry out a poll to solve the presidential crisis has raised considerable controversy in Lebanese political circles. The poll aims to highlight the aspirations and needs of the Christians in Lebanon, as well as to determine the value of the active political forces in the Christian arena and the level of support for their leaders. The purpose of the step is to classify Christian leaders based on the size of their constituencies, and then determine those who are most capable of legitimately filling the presidential vacuum that has lasted for more than a year. 

The most important point about this proposal is that it has received the support of the Lebanese Forces, which is the FPM's traditional rival. The proposal even resulted from an unexpected rapprochement between the two archenemies, which culminated in a declaration of intent exemplified by a document signed in June and devoted to the need to come up with a “strong president” — a president with a large Christian support base.

In this context, the question arises as to whether this proposal will be implemented, and most importantly, whether it will contribute to taking the solution to the presidential dispute a step further.

The first objections to this mechanism aimed at resolving the presidential dispute — which is not based on any convention or the constitution — emanated from Christian ranks, including figures from both the March 14 and March 8 camps.