Qabbani: Lawmakers Condemning All Lebanese by Failing to Elect President

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani criticized on Wednesday the failure of the third round of the presidential elections, warning that Lebanon will witness hard times should vacuum arise in the presidency.

He said: “Lawmakers are condemning all the Lebanese people by failing to elect a president.”

The mufti made his remarks upon his return to Lebanon from a trip to Bahrain where he took part in a media conference.

“Lawmakers would have fallen for the political trap they set up themselves if they fail to elect a president within the constitutional deadline,” stated Qabbani.

President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ends on May 25.

“There are no signs however that the elections will be held on time,” added the mufti.

“We hope that we will not fall into vacuum because that will reflect negatively on the political scene and the people's daily lives,” warned the cleric.

“No matter how great its authority, the government does not have the sufficient power to ensure the rise of the state,” he noted.

Qabbani therefore called on officials to “halt playing political games with Lebanon and with the fate of its people.”

Parliament failed on Wednesday for the third week in a row to elect a new president over differences between the March 8 and 14 alliances, more than two weeks before the expiry of Suleiman's tenure.

Speaker Nabih Berri set May 15 as a new round of voting after the March 8 lawmakers again boycotted the elections.

March 8 MPs and mainly members of MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc stressed that the elections would be held only if they became “serious.”

Aoun has repeatedly said that he would not announce his candidacy if there was no consensus on him.

“There wouldn't have been any boycott if the presidential elections were serious,” MP Nabil Nicolas said.

March 14 MPs slammed this stance, warning that it may lead Lebanon to vacuum.

M.T.

S.D.B.