Al-Rahi Urges Officials to 'Prepare Conditions to Hold Presidential Election on Time'

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi criticized on Sunday the political authorities in Lebanon for “neglecting their duties” and their attempts to create political vacuum in the country.

He said during his Sunday sermon: “Officials should prepare conditions to elect a new president within the constitutional deadline.”

He also demanded that a new and fair electoral law be approved in order to stage the parliamentary elections “as soon as possible.”

The elections were supposed to be held in June earlier this year but they were postponed after the political rivals failed to agree on a new electoral law.

The presidential election is set for 2014.

Moreover, al-Rahi urged officials to “abandon sectarian agendas and foreign and local dictates that seek to create vacuum in Lebanon.”

He called on them to cease creating disputes and “protecting illegitimate arms and violations of the law.”

The Maronite patriarch also condemned the clashes in the northern city of Tripoli that have been raging since Monday, saying that the residents of the city have become hostages of the fighting in Syria.

He hoped that the army and security forces would succeed in imposing security in the city and disarming the gunmen.

At least 12 people were killed and 80 wounded in latest round of clashes between the rival Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen neighborhoods in Tripoli.

The neighborhoods have been for years witnessing deadly gunbattles, but skirmishes began to flare with increasing intensity after the Syrian uprising began in March 2011.

The Bab al-Tabbaneh district is largely Sunni, like Syria's rebels. Jabal Mohsen mostly has residents of Syrian President Bashar Assad's Alawite sect.

The fighting broke out on Monday evening as celebratory gunfire erupted in Jabal Mohsen over Assad’s appearance on al-Mayadeen television for an interview.