Salam Says to Deal with Presidential Vacuum in 'Exceptional Way'

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Prime Minister Tammam Salam reiterated on Sunday that the country is passing through “extraordinary” circumstances capped with a vacancy at the helm of the country's top Christian post.

He called in comments to MTV channel on the political arch-foes to swiftly elect a new president.

Salam said that his cabinet will deal with this “stage in an exceptional way.”

Lebanon has been plunged into a leadership vacuum after Michel Suleiman's presidential term ended on Sunday with rival political blocs still divided over a new leader.

Over the past two months the parliament convened five times to try to elect a successor to Suleiman but failed during the last four sessions due to a lack of quorum.

The presidential vacuum raised fears that it would affect Lebanon's power-sharing agreement under which the president should be a Maronite, the premier a Sunni and the speaker a Shiite.

The cabinet assumes the executive tasks of the president as stated by the constitution until a new head of state is elected.

H.K.

Comments 3
Thumb hanibaal 01 June 2014, 14:10

All thanks to Super Aoun in his orange spandex and cape. With an ego that is more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap over the democratic process in a single bound, can run away from danger faster than a speeding bullet.

Thumb chrisrushlau 01 June 2014, 17:18

The emergency measure will be to hold a referendum of all registered voters on the question, "should seats in parliament be awarded by 'one person, one vote' soo that half the seats are no longer reserved for Christians regardless of their numbers?"

Missing helicopter 01 June 2014, 20:43

As long as the one vote is for true Lebanese (not Iranians/Iraqis/Syrians that became naturalized citizens) and as long as the true Lebanese emigrants are able to vote.