Report: Washington, Paris Seek Presidential Elections on Time, Avoid Endorsing Candidates
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The United States and France are eager for Lebanon stage the presidential elections on time, reported the Kuwaiti daily al-Anba on Sunday.
Informed sources told the daily that the two sides are keen that the elections are held within the constitutional deadline, adding that they will not voice their preference to any candidate.
Saudi Arabia is likely to adopt this position as well, said the daily.
Moreover, al-Anba noted that regional and international powers are not tackling the presidential elections, leading observers to believe that resolving pending issues will take place a few days before the elections.
They warned however that the possibility of a presidential vacuum has not been ruled out.
Washington and Paris have voiced their rejection of vacuum, with the sources noting that foreign powers will not play a role in the elections until local affairs over the issue are resolved.
The foreign powers will likely only intervene if they sense that Lebanon is headed towards a vacuum in the country's top post, added al-Anba.
President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ends in May but the constitution states that the parliament should choose a new head of state within a two-month period, which was on March 25.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea was the first to announce that he will run for the presidency and is set to unveil his presidential program next week.
Lebanese media have in recent weeks identified other presidential hopefuls as Kataeb Party chief and ex-President Amin Gemayel and MPs Butros Harb and Robert Ghanem, who are like Geagea members of the March 14 alliance.
Other potential candidates are Hizbullah allies Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh.
13 April 2014, 10:02
05
The Lebanese cannot manage their affairs on their own. Foreign intervention in the election process is almost inevitable.
13 April 2014, 17:08
00
I wish they provide appropriate arms for the LAF and then maybe they will have to make less political stances.
13 April 2014, 10:55
02
as a result i'm working hard to convince france to annex lebanon
13 April 2014, 11:19
02
why would they want to do that?:)) We will destroy and corrupt them.
13 April 2014, 16:33
02
why would they do that? that's why I'm trying hard to convince France Lol. Don't worry my people, I will succeed. My strong points in the negotiations are:
- the Lebanese are the smartest people on earth. We have the FT's the FD's, the late josephani, the southerners, the movaten's the kakas ...etc.
- Every few years we manage and by miracles to destroy and then rebuild our country.
- Lebanon has a strong economy, we just bought 3 billions worth of arms.
13 April 2014, 11:21
11
they already are destroying themselves as it is Paris alone is 60% African now and living off the French government
13 April 2014, 15:51
22
Wlek Sierra Leone would not dare to annex us even if we offered to pay them to do so. It is like trying to take over an insolvent company with no chance of turnaround and absolutely no assets.
Lebanon is a basket case, and we are responsible for that.
13 April 2014, 20:51
00
I'm afraid that it is a realistic view of our state of affairs: it seems that half of the population cheers for a guy who can't quite make up his mind whether he is a Lebanese citizen or a Saudi subject; the other half cheers for a medieval brute who gets his moral compass from an Iranian looney who codified, among other things the halal way to fart (look it up).
The 10452 in my handle is a desperate yearning for a society as envisaged by Bashir Gemayel. But for every passing day, it looks more and more like a pipe dream.
