Maronite Bishops Reject 'Necessary Legislation': Electing President Must Be Priority

The Maronite Bishops Council rejected on Wednesday “necessary legislation” at parliament in light of the ongoing vacuum in the presidency.

It said after its monthly meeting: “The election of a president should be a priority above all else.”

“The constitution stresses the need to elect a president. Anything other than that is a violation of the constitution,” it declared.

It therefore urged officials to adhere to the constitution instead of “exploiting political developments for their own interests.”

Lebanon has been without a head of state since the term of Michel Suleiman ended.

A number of electoral sessions were held at parliament, but the ongoing dispute between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise candidate has resulted in a lack of quorum at the sessions.

The Maronite Bishops Council also addressed the spread of extremism in the region, noting the rise of such a phenomenon in the northern city of Tripoli.

“We urge Islamic officials to take a clear stand on the spread of extremism in order to safeguard coexistence in Lebanon,” it urged.

The Maronite bishops hailed the recent spiritual meeting at Dar al-Fatwa and the “bold stances it made.”

Held on September 25, the Islamic-Christian summit held at Dar al-Fatwa called on Lebanese parties to stop relying on foreign influence to empower themselves domestically, as it rejected the proliferation of arms in the country under the excuse of self-defense against jihadist groups.

The summit also stressed the importance of dialogue for preserving pluralism and addressing disputes.

M.T.

G.K.