Al-Rahi Slams Negligence of Lawmakers, Failure to Carry Out Constitutional Tasks

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi slammed on Sunday the negligence of lawmakers and their failure to carry out their constitutional tasks.

“The people reject such carelessness,” al-Rahi said in a harshly worded sermon at Our Lady of Lebanon basilica in Harissa.

“The people reject the MPs failure to elect a new president and the unstoppable violation of the constitution and their dignities.”

He stressed that the Lebanese “got tired of the policies that breaches the democratic norms.”

Al-Rahi called on the concerned parties to reach common ground to resolve the ongoing presidential crisis.

Lebanon has been plunged into a leadership vacuum after Michel Suleiman's presidential term ended on May 25 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 differences between the rival March 8 and 14 alliances over a compromise candidate led to a lack of quorum in several rounds of parliamentary sessions.

H.K.