Al-Rahi Urges Formation of 'Non-Political and Technocrat' Salvation Govt.
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday called for the formation of a “non-political and technocrat” salvation government.
“Our concern will grow should there be failure to name a new premier, especially should there be failure to form a non-political and technocrat salvation government that would launch reforms according to the recommendation of the April 2018 CEDRE Conference,” al-Rahi said in his Sunday Mass sermon.
He added that the guarantee for success in forming a government would be “determination by everyone to avoid procrastination, the placement of conditions and the fabrication of unconstitutional obstacles that are against the National Pact.”
“Any agreement on the formation of the new government must remain within the boundaries of the Constitution and the National Pact, seeing as no group has the right to bypass the Constitution while another has no right to give it up and a third has no right to distort the democratic system,” the patriarch went on to say.
President Michel Aoun has scheduled the binding parliamentary consultations to pick a new premier for Thursday but no political agreement has yet been reached among the parties, although ex-PM Saad Hariri has announced that he is certainly a premiership candidate, reversing a previous stance.
Ex-PM Najiq Miqati has meanwhile floated an initiative calling for the formation of a Hariri-led government comprised of 14 technocrats and six political ministers.
11 October 2020, 18:10
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Al Rahi used to talk about "equality" in describing the 50-50 split in the Chamber of Deputies ordained by Article 24 of the Constitution, part of the so-called Taef Accord. Under the previous unwritten, unratified "National Pact", the Christians got a 6-5 advantage in number of deputies. It looks like attempts to form a non-political government are not going to succeed, so it's time to go back a month to Macron and Aoun agreeing that sectarianism has to be removed from Lebanese governance.
11 October 2020, 18:43
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I respect his title and his function, but the person behind this title I don't respect, not consistent not honest, even I detect some hypocrisy, not to mention like all Lebanese politicians :corruption
11 October 2020, 18:49
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Any agreement on the formation of the new government must remain within the boundaries of the Constitution and the National Pact, seeing as no group has the right to bypass the Constitution while another has no right to give it up and a third has no right to distort the democratic system,” the patriarch went on to say.
First step" to better Lebanon" is to change the constitution, and if you don't understand it, then stay out of politics, your opinion taking into account your title can mislead ( to not mention hostilities)your followers, and this applies to all your colleagues from other religions .
11 October 2020, 21:30
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Your point my Hebrew friend, Al-Rahi is not looking to be in the next government.
12 October 2020, 14:46
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He's only asking for the Shiite duo to respect the commitments they made to Macron. But Iran's dictates will every time take precedent over any commitment the Shiite duo make to anyone, qui donne ordonne.
