Report: Al-Rahi to Renew Call on Political Powers to Elect President

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi will renew next week his demands on political parties to exert greater efforts to hold the presidential polls and elect a new head of state, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday.

Sources close to Bkirki said that the patriarch will adopt a stronger tone in urging the officials to stage the elections.

He has not however reached a “work plan that will serve this end, especially after various political powers have received official confirmations that there is no use in waiting for foreign intervention to hold the elections,” they added.

Moreover, they noted that “banking on a dramatic change in position of any integral political camp is a waste of time.”

“No party will take the risk of changing alliances,” explained the sources.

“This means that the Lebanese powers should act rationally on the basis that they still have the initiative to stage the elections in their hands,” they continued.

Five rounds of the presidential elections have been held so far.

Four of the rounds were not staged due to a lack of quorum at parliament caused by a boycott by March 8 MPs, namely those of the Hizbullah and Free Patriotic Movement blocs, over ongoing differences with the March 14 alliance over the elections.

The next round is scheduled for June 9.

It is expected to meet the fate of its predecessors given that the disputes between the rival parties have not been resolved.