Christians Skeptic on Aoun's Initiative to End Presidential Stalemate

The seat of the Maronite church in Bkirki and the Kataeb Party reportedly expressed reservations on the Change and Reform bloc's initiative to resolve the presidential deadlock.

Sources said in comments published in al-Liwaa newspaper Tuesday that Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi and the Kataeb Party were mainly skeptic over the vague mechanism that the initiative is based on.

Al-Rahi reportedly informed a delegation from the Change and Reform bloc that the Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's initiative includes positive and negative aspects.

The sources said that the patriarch was keen to stress the importance of ending the presidential vacuum as soon as possible.

Lawmaker Salim Salhab, who is part of the delegation, pointed out that al-Rahi would agree on any mechanism that facilitates the election of a new head of state, saying: “The patriarch favors consensus over any adopted technique.”

The Kataeb party also vowed to study the initiative before taking any decision as the Lebanese Forces rejected any attempts to modify the Taef accord during the delicate stage the country is passing through.

MP Ibrahim Kanaan, who led the delegation, told al-Joumhouria newspaper that the “initiative was partly accepted... Christians have joint concerns.”

“The suggested mechanism was seriously discussed to reach a practical solution.”

Kanaan said that the Christians “are seeking to fortify their presence in state institutions and elect a new president who enjoys the required characteristics.”

“Those who are saying that the initiative requires a Constitutional amendment... haven't read it thoroughly as a referendum that includes Christians and the Lebanese doesn't require an amendment,” the MP criticized.

“We are seeking to rectify the Constitutional path that have been adopted for the past 24 years.”

Aoun's initiative sets four solutions to the presidential deadend, at the forefront the election of a president directly from the people in two phases, first by the Christians, who would eliminate candidates and on a second phase by the Lebanese people.

Another solution would be a popular referendum and the candidate who garners most votes would be elected by the parliament as a new president.

The initiative also includes the possibility of electing the Maronite candidate who has the majority of representation at the parliament, while the fourth is staging the parliamentary elections ahead of the presidential based on a new electoral law that provides equality between Christians and Muslims.

H.K.

G.K.