Al-Rahi Urges MPs to Elect President, Stresses that Void is against Constitution

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi reiterated his call Thursday for the election of a president as soon as possible, stressing that any attempt to prolong the presidential void is against the stipulations of the Constitution.

“The Lebanese Constitution stipulates that in the event of vacuum, the parliament should convene immediately to elect a president … This is the true interpretation. We reject the current situation because it violates the Constitution and we will not accept any other interpretation,” the patriarch said.

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, arguing that boycott is a “constitutional right.”

“The patriarchate does not have candidates. It does not recommend a certain candidate, it does not support a candidate and it does not veto any candidate,” al-Rahi stressed.

“They were first betting on the end of the war in Syria, then on whether (Syrian President Bashar) Assad stays in power or not. They then made bets on the nuclear agreement between the Americans and Iran and other issues,” the patriarch lamented.

“We call on them not to make bets on foreign forces or on a mirage. Go to parliament and elect a president – this is our stance today,” al-Rahi added.

Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri launched late in 2015 a proposal to nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman 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 FPM founder 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.