Al-Rahi Stresses Need for New Govt. to Stage Presidential Elections

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged on Sunday the need for political powers to end their tense rhetoric and instead place national interests above all else.

He called during his Sunday sermon for “the formation of a government capable of rising up to challenges, especially staging the presidential elections on time.”

The government should also help restore the people's faith in officials and politicians, he continued.

The people elected officials to serve the public and revive constitutional institutions, remarked the patriarch.

“It is unfortunate that various violations in Lebanon are being granted political cover,” lamented al-Rahi.

The ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps have thwarted the formation of a new government since Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam's appointment in April.

The presidential elections are scheduled for May.