Maronite Bishops: Lawmakers' Remarks on Presidential Vacuum Sign of Political Ineptitude

The Maronite Bishops Council lamented on Wednesday lawmakers' ongoing failure to elect a president, voicing their concern over the possibility of vacuum in Lebanon's top post.

It said after its monthly meeting chaired by Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi: “The MPs' remarks on vacuum is a cause for concern and a sign of their political ineptitude.”

“We would like to remind lawmakers of their duties, which includes the election of a president,” stressed the council.

“We remind them of the need to elect a responsible and competent president, as they have repeatedly demanded,” it said.

The new president should be up to the local and regional challenges, it added.

Moreover, it hoped that parliament will continue to function on a regular basis and not just only convene for the sake of electing a president.

Parliament failed on Wednesday for the third week in a row to elect a new president over differences between the March 8 and 14 alliances, more than two weeks before the expiry of President Michel Suleiman's tenure.

Speaker Nabih Berri set May 15 as a new round of voting after the March 8 lawmakers again boycotted the elections.

March 8 MPs and mainly members of MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc stressed that the elections would be held only if they became “serious.”

Aoun has repeatedly said that he would not announce his candidacy if there was no consensus on him.

“There wouldn't have been any boycott if the presidential elections were serious,” MP Nabil Nicolas said.

March 14 MPs slammed this stance, warning that it may lead Lebanon to vacuum.

M.T.

G.K.