Maronite Bishops Warn of 'Terrible Collapse', Urge Respect for Constitution

The Council of Maronite Bishops warned Wednesday of a “terrible collapse” of the country should the protracting political vacuum continue, while reiterating its call for Lebanese politicians to abide by the Constitution.

“Before the external and internal threats that the country is facing, the bishops feel extremely worried over the political procrastination and the failure that is paralyzing state institutions,” said the bishops in a statement issued after their monthly meeting in Diman under Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.

The paralysis risks pushing the country into “an open-ended crisis that threatens the political, economic and social systems with a terrible collapse,” the bishops warned.

“Despite this, the bishops wish success for the ongoing dialogue sessions and stress anew that the real solution to this crisis begins by abiding by the Constitution, which is the only protector of political regularity,” the bishops added, calling for “the election of a president who has the ability to revive state institutions according to firm constitutional and ethical foundations.”

They also called for approving a new electoral law that ensures “fair and proper representation for all Lebanese groups.”

Officials were upbeat after the second national dialogue session on Wednesday, which Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil described as “the most important national dialogue session ever.”

The conferees have for the first time discussed the issue of creating a Senate and implementing administrative decentralization, which both were stipulated by the 1989 Taef Accord.

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.

The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid argue that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.