Mazloum: Maronite Leaders' Talks on Presidency Pointless due to their Foreign Commitments

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Bishop Samir Mazloum ruled out a breakthrough in the crisis over the presidential elections due to the “wide gap” between the concerned officials and “their ties to regional and international powers,” reported the Kuwaiti daily al-Seyassah on Sunday.

He told the daily: “The Maronite Patriarchate in Bkirki currently sees no point in bringing together the Maronite leaders in order to reach a positive outcome on the presidency given their foreign commitments.”

“This means that their decisions are not in their own hands and we should therefore await an easing in regional and international tensions” in order to reach a breakthrough in Lebanon, he remarked.

Furthermore, meetings that Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi held with the Maronite leaders demonstrated that they are still committed to their old positions on the presidential polls, added Mazloum.

These talks were “necessary and helpful,” he added, while saying that they were aimed at persuading the powers to hold the elections soon.

The polls have not been staged even though the officials expressed a willingness to hold them, continued the bishop.

Bkirki is reportedly witnessing intensive visits by Maronite leaders to resolve the presidential deadlock and salvage the Christians' most prominent post, regaining its political role, media reports said earlier in December.

Al-Rahi is keen to launch dialogue between Free Patriotic Movement chief Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea after ties between Christians deteriorated and hit bottom rock.

The presidential post has been empty since May 25 when former President Michel Suleiman's term ended.

Regional divisions and the political stalemate in the country's parliament have left lawmakers unable to agree on a successor.

M.T.

Comments 14
Default-user-icon puppet (Guest) 21 December 2014, 08:54

I respect Mr. Aoun and Mr. Flamethrower because their decisions are in their own hands.

Missing humble 21 December 2014, 10:03

Mgr Mazloum : please recognize the caporal as the one who is destroying the christians ...otherwise you are not fulfilling your responsibilities.

Thumb Mystic 21 December 2014, 11:47

Only ones destroying the christians, are Geagea and M14.

Default-user-icon Christian Jihadi (Guest) 21 December 2014, 14:19

and as a Christian Jihadist you would know that, wouldn't you!!!

Thumb canadianpaul 21 December 2014, 14:28

Hey little liar, how is your "engineer" doing?

Default-user-icon mystic.the.engineer (Guest) 21 December 2014, 17:15

well said Mystic!

Default-user-icon UmmaGumma (Guest) 21 December 2014, 11:57

'Foreign Commitment' is the Lebanese political correctness of Selling own Country to Highest bidder, equivalent to 'Treason'.
Yet the Lebanese Christian electorate, like lambs, seemingly take it in stride and continue to support their leaders, without any National urgency.
Hang 'em High...

Default-user-icon + oua nabka + (Guest) 21 December 2014, 12:51

Mazloum: Maronite Leaders' Talks on Presidency Pointless due to their Foreign Commitments
so the only solution is a popular vote for presidency so the leaders instead of licking strangers boots to be elected they will lick the boots of the people to get elected
god bless democracy

Default-user-icon god bless democracy (Guest) 21 December 2014, 21:28

Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion.
Edmund Burke

if you let a boot licker represent you, a what does that make you..

Default-user-icon dual (Guest) 21 December 2014, 15:18

Shi3as are the majority the president should be Shi3a. Taef usurped the rights of Shi3a majority to rule, it extended the marouniyeh el siyasiyeh by keeping the presidency and the head of thd army with them rather that with the Shi3a majority. Even general Michel Aoun's 'direct vote by the people' is counterfeit democracy because the Christians get to vote twice while the Muslim especially the Shi3a majority vote only once. In a true democracy all citizens are equal one man ONE vote.

Thumb beiruti 21 December 2014, 19:45

Yes, of course, Mutran has spoken directly, clearly and truthfully. These Lebanese Politicians are not principals even in their own government, but are agents of regional and international patrons to whom they have sold their right to make decisions in Lebanon in exchange for patronage money to sustain their political operations and party men.
Who will be the President of Lebanon, a Maronite. Which one? The one that Iran or Saudi Arabia wants. How will they decide? Which Maronite best serves the interests of which ever, Iran or KSA is ascendant in power. Which is that? We do not know because Daeg has targeted them all, Sunni and Shia alike.

Thumb beiruti 21 December 2014, 19:47

Before, there was no peace in Lebanon until the Palestinian issue was solved. So said Arafat who provided patronage to the Sunni. Then no independence in Lebanon as long as the Assad Regime could profit from the occupation, so said Assad to Berri. Then no independence for Lebanon as long as Iran needed Hezbollah to operated freely on Lebanese soil, so said Khamenei to Nasrallah and then Nasrallah to Aoun. And then no independence for Lebanon until the rise of the Shiites was broken by the Sunni, so said KSA to Hariri. etc, etc etc. This is Lebanon's problem in the past, and in the present and into the future, unless.....

Thumb beiruti 21 December 2014, 19:51

Unless the cycle is broken. Unless the Lebanese people stop demanding patronage money from their political class as the price for support. This demand from the Lebanese people makes the political class turn to outside sponsors to supply the money that keeps the people loyal.
Why is Lebanon as it is. Because the Lebanese people have given rise to this sorry corrupted political class which have enslaved themselves and Lebanon to regional and international foreign powers, and why?? To appease the Lebanese people and their constant demands to be paid for their loyalty to their own country. Lebanon has not been bought by foreigners, it has been sold by the locals.
Come on Lebanese, the power is in your hands to break this cycle. So break it before the loss of your country becomes permanent and irreversible.

Thumb nickjames 21 December 2014, 20:29

Miyyeh bel miyyeh. The Lebanese are to blame for this. They follow leaders blindly who sell themselves out just for big paychecks so they don't have to rely on selling drugs and illegally taxing residents anymore. It is because the people still vote them into office that they continue to tear this country apart.