Franjieh Won't Attend Electoral Session, Says Lebanon Not a 'European Democracy'

Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh announced Tuesday that he will next attend a presidential election session scheduled for Wednesday because his presence might further “complicate” the presidential deadlock.

“I'm part of the March 8 camp but I support going to parliament,” said Franjieh after talks with ex-MP Farid Haykal al-Khazen at the latter's residence in Jounieh.

“But my attendance of the parliamentary session might complicate things instead of resolving them,” Franjieh added.

“Ex-PM (Saad) Hariri understands my stance although he is right in what he is proposing, but Lebanon is not Switzerland, Sweden or a European democracy,” the Marada chief went on to say, suggesting that the election of a president requires political consensus outside the parliament building.

Franjieh added: “The disputes and disagreements in the country are very acute and things require a deeper understanding and we must not rush things.”

The northern leader also reiterated that he will not attend any electoral session without “coordination” with his allies in the March 8 camp.

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and the Free Patriotic Movement, Hizbullah and some of their allies have been boycotting the electoral sessions.

Hariri launched late in 2015 a proposal to nominate Franjieh for the presidency but his suggestion was rejected by the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.

The Hizbullah-led March 8 camp as well as March 14's Lebanese Forces have argued that Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun is more eligible than Franjieh to become president given the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.

Y.R.