Al-Rahi Warns of Falling into Presidential Vacuum

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi warned on Wednesday from presidential vacuum, considering that this hypothesis means “death.”

“The problem is that everyone wants to divide the country according to his perspective instead of becoming as one,” al-Rahi said in comments published in As Safir newspaper.

The Patriarch stressed that a “new president will be elected inevitably.”

He rejected any attempts to “postpone the presidential elections,” describing it as “death.”

Al-Rahi called for respecting the constitution.

President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ends in May, but there are fears that the differences between the March 8 and 14 camps would lead to a vacuum in the country's top post.

Al-Rahi announced on Tuesday that a national pact will be issued after the monthly meeting of the Council of Maronite Bishops on February 5.

The cabinet formation process reached an impasse after being put on front burner after Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun insisted that his bloc retain the Energy and Telecommunications Ministries portfolios, currently held by caretaker Ministers Jebran Bassil and Nicolas Sehnaoui respectively. In addition to his rejection to the concept of rotation of ministerial portfolios.

However, Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam, who was appointed in April, is holding onto the concept of “fair, balanced and comprehensive rotation of portfolios,” which is rejected by the Free Patriotic Movement.

Al-Rahi told As Safir daily that “Christians should play their important role in Lebanon and the Arab world,” adding that the “Arab spring will only bloom through Lebanon.”

He also warned Christians of slipping over into a “sectarian trap,” considering it their “end.”

The political upheaval that has swept the Arab world over the past three years has led to a rise of radical Islam, leaving minority Christians feeling threatened and sometimes forcing them to emigrate.

Eastern Christians number between an estimated 10 and 13 million.

They make up 36 percent of the population in Lebanon, 10 percent in Egypt, 5.5 percent in Jordan, 5.0 percent in Syria, up to 2.0 percent in Iraq, 2.0 percent in Israel and 1.2 percent of Palestinians, according to the Oeuvre d'Orient Catholic association.