Salam Calls for Grand Mufti Elections on August 10, Qabbani Gives His 'Blessing'
Prime Minister Tammam Salam on Saturday called on the Higher Islamic Council to elect a new Grand Mufti on August 10, a decision that received the blessing of Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani.
According to Article 2 of Salam's decree, the elections will take place with the participation of two-thirds of the Council's members in the first round of voting.
"If quorum was not met in the first electoral round, the session would be postponed to 12:00pm on the same day when elections would take place in the presence of one-half of the Council's members,” the decree explained.
Salam also asked the head of Dar al-Fatwa's Islamic Endowments, Sheikh Hisham Khalifeh, to post the decree's stipulations at the entrance of Dar al-Fatwa, and to take all necessary administrative procedures in this regard.
In a surprising step, Qabbani hailed the Premier's decision.
"We give our blessing to Salam's call for holding the elections on August 10 after Qabbani was reassured that what has been agreed on will safeguard the status of this religious post, of Muslims and of their religious reference,” a statement released by the Grand Mufti's office said.
The statement noted that Qabbani's stance was developed in light of recent negotiations over the Dar al-Fatwa crisis, in an attempt to unite Muslims, and in response to the Egyptian initiative which received the blessing of Arabs.
He thanked “all those who exerted efforts leading to consensus” over the elections, on top of them Egypt, and called for “seizing the opportunity to call on Muslims to denounce differences and strife and instead unite to face challenges and dangers threatening the Arab region.”
In June, Sheikh Khalifeh called for electing a new Grand Mufti on August 31, but this announcement was met with the opposition of the council led by Sheikh Omar Misqawi, who demanded the elections to be held as soon as possible.ط
However, the Grand Mufti insisted that election will take place on August 31, refusing to change the date.
Qabbani's term ends on September 15.
The dispute between the council led by Qabbani and that of his deputy Misqawi is the result of political interference.
The HIC -- which elects the Mufti and organizes Dar al-Fatwa's affairs – became the center of controversy in 2012 after 21 of its members, who are close to al-Mustaqbal movement, extended its term until 2015 despite Qabbani's objection.
The Mufti later held elections for the Council, which were deemed illegal by ex-PMs ٍFouad Saniora and Najib Miqati, and the group led by Misqawi, who argued that the polls violated Shura Council decisions and did not enjoy a legal quorum.
On July 22, six members of the HIC resigned, ending a three-year war that sought the division of the highest Sunni authority in Lebanon.
Fifteen members had so far submitted their resignations thus suspending the works of the HIC headed by Qabbani.
S.D.B.
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