The new Lebanese government has reached an agreement on its ministerial statement. The statement came as a result of 10 sessions of the government’s minicommittee that was designed for this purpose. The last two sessions were the lengthiest and included all the government’s members, and the very last was held on Friday, March 14.

On March 20, the government of Tammam Salam gained a vote of confidence from the parliament, with 96 out of 128 parliament members voting in favor of the government. Thus, it became a government with full-fledged powers and could begin its normal work. This step made the majority of Lebanese believe that the coming presidential elections could, or rather are likely, to be held.

Therefore, the pertinent question has been raised: Who will be the next Lebanese president? Another — more traditional and persistent question — was also asked among Lebanese: “Who will choose our next president?”

In this context, the visit of US President Barack Obama to Saudi Arabia, which will coincide with the beginning of the constitutionally stipulated timeline to elect a new president on March 25, came to stir the already overactive Lebanese imagination about conspiracy theories. The deadline for selecting a president ends at midnight on May 24. It should be noted that the ancient, modern and contemporary history of Lebanon provided Lebanon with more than one reason to nurture this imagination.