Naharnet

Parliament fails to elect president amid high Hezbollah-FPM tensions

Parliament failed Thursday for the ninth time to elect a new president, amid high tensions between the two allies Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement.

Thirty nine blank votes were cast and thirty nine MPs voted for MP Michel Mouawad.

Nine MPs voted for New Lebanon, five voted for prominent historian and academic Issam khalifeh, and one MP voted for former Minister Ziad Baroud.

Three votes went to jailed customs chief Badri Daher.

FPM chief Jebran Bassil had blasted Hezbollah for attending an FPM-boycotted caretaker cabinet session on Monday, accusing them of "betrayal".

Hezbollah responded by dabbing Bassil's comment as "unwise" and "inappropriate." It said, in a statement Thursday, that it had not promised the FPM that its ministers would not attend cabinet sessions.

Al-Jadeed TV had earlier said that some of the FPM MPs might vote for Mouawad during today's session, as a political message.

Some votes for "Mouawad," "Michel," "Mouawad Badri Daher," were annulled.

In the past eight session, Hezbollah, Amal and the FPM had cast blank ballots, while the Lebanese Forces, the Progressive Socialist Party and some change and independent MPs had endorsed Mouawad.

MP Wael Bou Faour from the Democratic Gathering bloc said that his bloc might endorse in the future former MP Salah Honein after holding discussions with other blocs.

Honein had officially announced on Wednesday his candidacy for presidency. He garnered only one vote in today's session.

Quorum was lost as usual before the second round of voting. Parliament will convene again next Thursday to elect a president.

Source: Naharnet


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