Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Wednesday described the walkout of the pro-Suleiman Franjieh lawmakers from the 12 presidential election session as “a real and actual obstruction of the entire presidential election process.”

“Had the second round (of voting) been held today, we would have had a president now,” Geagea tweeted.

MPs from the rival electoral camps on Wednesday claimed “victory” in a presidential election session that failed to produce a new president.

“The camp that is trying to impose its candidate garnered 51 votes, which means that there is a clear majority against the imposition process … Our rejection of imposition means that we have won,” MP Michel Mouawad of the pro-Jihad Azour camp said after the session.

Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh on Wednesday thanked the 51 MPs who voted for him in the 12th presidential election session that was held earlier in the day without producing a winner.

“We also respect the opinion of the lawmakers who did not vote for me and this should push for constructive dialogue with everyone,” Franjieh added, in a tweet.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri urged Wednesday for dialogue after MPs failed for the 12th time to elect a president.

Berri called on parties to stop trading blame and to stop "spinning in a vicious circle."

Ex-minister and incumbent IMF official Jihad Azour on Wednesday thanked the Lebanese lawmakers who voted for him in the 12th presidential election session, which did not produce a new president.

"I hope that this development will be an incentive to converge on the need of getting Lebanon out of the crisis and move the process forward for the good of the Lebanese people," Azour said in an English-language statement.

Lawmakers in crisis-hit Lebanon on Wednesday failed for the 12th time to elect a new president, as bitter divisions between Hezbollah and its opponents marred the vote.

Candidates Jihad Azour and Suleiman Franjieh both failed to get across the line, with Azour garnering 59 votes and Frangieh 51 in the 128-seat parliament.

MPs Elias Jradeh, Halima Qaaqour and Cynthia Zarazir of the Change bloc and MPs Osama Saad, Abdul Rahman al-Bizri and Charbel Masaad of the Sidon-Jezzine bloc announced prior to Wednesday’s presidential election session that they would not vote for the candidates of the “sectarian parties.”

In a statement, the lawmakers said they would only vote for a candidate who supports the independence of the judiciary and backs holding corrupts accountable and resuming the probe into the Beirut port blast.

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will discuss with President Emmanuel Macron on Friday the Lebanese file, local media reports said Wednesday.

The meeting takes place after Lebanese MPs failed again Wednesday to elect a president amid a chaotic session that ended with a missing vote and a lack of quorum for the second round.

U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland held phone talks with Speaker Nabih Berri on the eve of Lebanon’s 12th presidential election session.

“Had a constructive call with Lebanese Speaker Berri about the urgency of electing a president and enacting legislation on critically needed IMF reforms,” Nuland said in a tweet.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Tuesday stressed that the FPM is “outside any domestic or foreign alignment” and “not part of an axis,” on the eve of a heated presidential election session.