Report: Al-Rahi Proposed Vatican Meet for Top Christian Leaders over Presidency
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has suggested to bring together Lebanon's top Christian political leaders in Rome but his proposal was rejected, An Nahar newspaper reported on Thursday.
Al-Rahi wanted to put the officials under “moral pressure to convince them to agree on a candidate for the presidency and agree on holding the elections,” the daily said.
But his proposal to hold a meeting at the Vatican was met with large-scale rejection from politicians and candidates for several reasons, it added.
The Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anbaa said Sunday that Bkirki will seek during a meeting for top Christian figures to persuade them to assume their responsibilities and agree on the election of the “best candidate.”
Lebanon has been without a head of state since May 25. President Michel Suleiman's six-year tenure ended amid parliament's failure to find a successor over differences on a compromise candidate.
The main rivalry lies between Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, who hasn't yet officially announced his candidacy.
Al-Rahi has repeatedly warned that the vacuum at Baabda Palace would have severe repercussions on the country's top Christian post.
Under the country's power-sharing agreement of 1943, the president should be a Maronite Christian, the speaker a Shiite and the prime minister a Sunni.
But An Nahar quoted ministers as saying that the presidential elections were no longer a priority after politicians became concerned with the extension of parliament's term, which ends in November.
The legislature extended its tenure last year after the rival MPs failed to agree on a new electoral draft-law.
Some parliamentary blocs have said they are in favor of an extension while others have refused to back it.
G.K.
H.K.
14 August 2014, 09:27
10
What has the vatican to do with it? Why not a Protestant , Greek-Orthodox Or Druz for President ?
14 August 2014, 12:23
11
The maronite church is part of the catholic church. Sometimes patriarchs are nominated cardinals at Rome, this is why Al Rai chose the Vatican and not the Greek-Orthodox Or Druz . Al Rai is doing the maximum he can to assure a president election, and his efforts should be appreciated by all Lebanese instead of asking non sense questions and oppose just to oppose. Indeed a meeting in the Vatican can put a moral pressure on Christians leaders and force them to reach an agreement, this is why they rejected the proposal. They want to keep bargaining, wasting time and blaming each other.
14 August 2014, 09:28
64
thanks to aoun, the presidency is becoming less and less of a priority and soon people will learn to live without a president.
14 August 2014, 09:30
10
Or Sarkozy as interim President.......? I'll vote for him and sure many others.
14 August 2014, 10:40
20
The Patriarch should excommunicate each Maronite MP that does no attend the next round of presidential elections
14 August 2014, 11:29
01
They all need to be lined up next to each other and slapped across the face!
But seriously, this is how you solve the problem. Anyone who misses a parliamentary session (for elections) 3 times is forced to resign or loses their vote in quorum. Simple as that. If they don't want to take this seriously and want to keep abusing it then they don't deserve it.
14 August 2014, 15:26
00
What does the vatican or the pope know about Lebanon, goes to show why the president of Lebanon should come from the shi3a majority full stop.
14 August 2014, 15:29
00
All are getting used to live without a president......get used to it
All are laughing at the politicians, they are a joke....get used to it
Lebanon is becoming the country of the individual....keep the government functioning to manage what is left of the institutions and ....get used to it.
The Patriarch suggestion will turn the Christians Leander's into Christian mafia....avoid it
14 August 2014, 16:46
20
Its not moral persuasion that these guys need. Its money. I think the deal was almost made to give it to Aoun, he took the $100 million dollar pay out from Hariri and sort of got off of the Iranian teet. Then Aoun opened his mouth on Tuesday and said that the Lebanese Army needs to work more with the Syrian Army and Hezbollah to fight the "tikfiris". This was a ham fisted way of reassuring the Iranians that even with Saudi money, he'd be a loyal employee.
The Sunnis went straight up. Even Hariri can't sell Aoun when he says things like that, and so Hariri is back in Saudi Arabia for "instructions". What to do next??
14 August 2014, 18:50
00
I see that you're still trying to pass for a Portuguese. You are even filling your posts with amusing grammatical and spelling errors, brilliant! FYI genius, Portugal was invaded by the Omayyad about 500 years pre Ottomans, at least get this bit right.
14 August 2014, 23:52
10
Great job your "Christian" Português empire did with the indigenous people of the Americas there amigo. You shoulda taken that left tuyn at Albuquerque.
14 August 2014, 16:54
00
The fact is that they should accept Helou...the candidate (only) who is not aligned with either extreme. I am a latin american simple minded person. Not a druze nor a maronite.
14 August 2014, 17:35
21
Lebanon is a delicate balance. No one confessional group can go too far in any direction without drawing an adverse reaction from one of the other groups. Hezbollah has sorely tested this balance with its alliance to the Assad Regime in fighting Sunnis in Syria. This can and has inflamed Lebanese Sunni, just as if Hezbollah had gone to war against Syrian Christians, would inflame Lebanese Christians.
When Tripoli Sunnis give aid to Syrian Sunnis, likewise, it draws an adverse reaction from Lebanese Shia, Hezbollah in particular.
14 August 2014, 17:39
21
Aoun's statement on Tuesday killed his already shaky chances at the Presidency by making it almost impossible for even Hariri to sell the idea to the Sunni Street, much less to Mustaqbel Deputies and Geagea. Aoun is a great leader?? REally? Great leaders know when to keep their mouths shut and when to speak. He is now out because he has no subtlety necessary to maintain the balance between the confessional groups in Lebanon. He swings wildly one way then the other, inflaming the situation rather than stabilizing. Lebanon is to be stabilized right now, and the bull in the china shop ain't the agent for that.
15 August 2014, 05:50
00
Mankind is not kind.Human beings are not humane . People dictate to others how they should,live ,behave,believe in, act,etc...But(Every person is born with rights given by the creator )Right to live free, be happy+expect justice... As long as doesn't hurt others. The Lebanese Presidency reduced to an almost powerless position.(years ago)Now diabolical diplomacy is guaranteeing no presidency ,to diminish the power of Christians, in their LAST stronghold of any significance in the Middle East ..The rest are either wiped out...exiled or second class citizens in their lands ..(indigenous populations reduced to "has been's") Only solution a country of mid-east Christians for survival .Question is:who would give the land ? Maybe the USA..(took it from Indians gave it to Christians)LOL...History books will say..Once upon a time , there lived some people who were descendants of 1st converts to Christianity.Then they were no more.
15 August 2014, 09:11
00
Aoun will listen to Nasrallah but not to the pope. Aoun has lowered the Christians to this abysmal level.
