Change and Reform Urges 'Popular Readiness', Says Presidency 'Not a Battle of Quorum'
The Change and Reform parliamentary bloc on Tuesday called on its supporters to await a signal from bloc chief MP Michel Aoun to stage popular protests, stressing that the presidency is not about parliamentary “quorum.”
“The presidential battle is not a battle of quorum but rather a battle related par excellence to the National Pact,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting in Rabieh.
The 1943 National Pact is an unwritten agreement that set the foundations of modern Lebanon as a state based on a sectarian distribution of power and the bloc has in recent years accused rival parties of marginalizing Christians in state institutions.
“Unfortunately, tomorrow's presidential election session will be similar to the previous ones,” Change and Reform noted.
“The government of national interest is turning into a government of corruptness and now is the time for popular readiness,” it added.
Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Change and Reform, Hizbullah and some of their allies have been boycotting the electoral sessions.
Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri launched late in 2015 a proposal to nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his suggestion was rejected by the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.
The Hizbullah-led March 8 camp, as well as March 14's Lebanese Forces, have argued that Aoun is more eligible than Franjieh to become president given the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.
Y.R.
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