Report: Lebanon Has to Overcome Regional, International Challenges to Hold Presidential Polls

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

The presidential elections in Lebanon could be postponed to September pending a number of regional and international developments, reported the Kuwaiti daily al-Anba on Monday.

Concerned sources told the daily that Lebanon has to overcome three obstacles in order to be able to hold the polls.

The first of these obstacles is the development of American-Iranian ties in light of the Tehran's nuclear ambitions and its negotiations with western powers over its program.

Lebanon then has to wait for the results of the Iraqi general elections and finally the Syrian presidential elections.

The Iraqi elections are set for April 30, while a date for the Syrian polls has not been set yet, but media reports said they may be staged in June.

Syrian President Bashar Assad's term ends on July 17.

The Iraqi and Syrian elections will test Iran's influence in the region, explained al-Anba.

Once they are held, Lebanon will be able to hold the presidential elections, but probably not before September, said the daily.

President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ends in May.

A parliamentary session to hold the elections has been scheduled for Wednesday, amid concerns that the necessary quorum will not be met.

Speaker Nabih Berri had stated that the conditions to hold the elections are “not ripe yet.”

The deadline to elect a president ends on May 25.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea is the only official to so far submit his nomination for the presidency.

M.T.

H.K.

Comments 7
Missing marhaba 21 April 2014, 10:11

Naharnet: This isn't a "report" with factual information, but an analysis or editorial by al-Anba.

And where this is wrong:
1) Lebanon isn't concerned by American Iranian negotiations, but by Iranian Saudi relations.
2) Lebanon's political scene is only very distantly correlated with Iraq's.
3) I wonder who will win the Syrian elections... I'm sure all Lebanese politicians also don't know the answer to this, and will have to wait for the results. Oh wait, we all do know the answer. So why do we need to wait for this?

There are loads of other regional "challenges" that are affecting our presidential elections, but unfortunately they've all been missed by this "report".

Thumb lebanon_first 21 April 2014, 11:04

marhaba, good analysis. I see this report as bogus too.

Only your first point leaves to be desired. Iranian saudi negotiations are directly related to iranian US negotiations.

Thumb EagleDawn 21 April 2014, 11:20

once again, go to manar and get your ulcer news.

Missing coolmec 21 April 2014, 10:21

well said Marhaba

Thumb Chupachups 21 April 2014, 11:16

Marhebten, FT - what is a good news site that you know of? Blz inform me. thanks.

Missing coolmec 21 April 2014, 12:03

Chupachups
Have a chupachup my friend...lol

Thumb Chupachups 21 April 2014, 12:24

Thanks coolmec, I've not had one in a while. Lol