Al-Rahi Says Election of New President a 'New Dawn for Lebanon'
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi announced Tuesday that the looming election of a new president can be considered as a “new dawn for Lebanon,” six days before a parliamentary vote that is expected to put Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun in the Baabda Palace.
“We hope things will proceed positively so that democracy can be restored on Monday,” al-Rahi told a delegation from the Press Syndicate.
The patriarch also called for “respecting principles and electing a strong president supported by the popular political blocs.”
He also underlined “the need to implement the Taef Accord and respect democracy.”
Following talks with Aoun on Monday, al-Rahi had expressed “relief” that the country's lengthy presidential vacuum is expected to see an end during the October 31 voting session.
Aoun was tipped to become president after al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri formally endorsed him on Thursday.
Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum.
Hariri had launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Hizbullah's ally and Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.
The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid have argued that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/219106 |