Kataeb: We Should Hold Presidential Elections instead of Promoting Extension of Parliament's Term
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Kataeb Party warned on Monday that the extension of parliament's term is aimed at harming the role of the presidency through “indefinitely” maintaining the presidential vacuum in Lebanon.
It said in a statement after its weekly politburo meeting: “The dangerous developments that Lebanon experienced may reoccur if we do not elect a president.”
“We should stage the presidential elections instead of promoting the extension of parliament's term for security or logistical purposes,” it added.
“Maintaining the presidential vacuum harms Lebanon's institutions and is a precursor to destroying the Lebanese system and its historic democratic course,” continued the Kataeb Party.
Furthermore, the party hailed the return to Lebanon of head of the Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri, hoping that it should be “exploited to assert stability and pave the way restarting internal dialogue among the political foes.”
The parliament has so far failed to choose a successor to President Michel Suleiman whose six-year term ended on May 25.
There is a large disagreement among the rival parliamentary blocs on a compromise candidate.
The vacuum at the Baabda Palace comes amid looming parliamentary elections. The legislature extended its term last year to November 20, 2014 after the MPs failed to approve a new electoral draft-law.
Speaker Nabih Berri last week voiced his opposition to the extension, urging the interior minister to carry out the preparations to hold the November polls.
Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat had on the other hand voiced his support on Sunday for the extension, saying that a two-year extension would substitute the failure to hold the presidential elections.
M.T.
S.D.B.
11 August 2014, 17:52
83
Kataeb: We Should Hold Presidential Elections instead of Promoting Extension of Parliament's Term...........
Thank you, this is the correct position.
You do not reward failed PMs by extending their term for a second time (what Jumblat proposed)
11 August 2014, 19:59
42
Guys, basically everyone but LF wants an extension. All the parties are afraid to lose seats especially Aoun. Aoun acts like he was the only one to reject the previous extension but that was a PR move, as he knew everyone else wanted extension and his opposition to it wouldn't change the vote. Whenever this next election happens, LF is gonna gain a lot of seats simply because Aoun has lost a lot of followers after his silence on Hezbollah's involvement in Syria along with his scheme to become president and to bastardise the functionality of the state's institutions.
11 August 2014, 20:06
21
Some parties are simply satisfied with their seats and aren't in a hurry to hold elections. Jumblatt could lose seats but it depends on what electoral law is decided. Hariri has the Sunnis locked down, he's not losing seats. Hezbollah doesn't give a crap because they'll always have more fighters than MPs. Amal doesn't really care as long as Berri is Speaker. Aoun will lose a lot of seats in an election and LF will gain. The only party losing from the vacuum is LF.
12 August 2014, 01:09
11
My comment got deleted but I believe I said Hariri wasn't in a hurry to extend parliament's term because if he had all the Sunni votes anyway an election won't hurt him. But since he did propose extending parliament's term, I think it means he gave up trying to resolve the presidential vacuum. Because we're not gonna have a president for some time, he doesn't mind extending parliament's term or else we'd have none
