Report: Berri to Call for Second Round of Presidential Election in May
Speaker Nabih Berri is expected to call for a second parliamentary session set to elect a new president in May as observers are decisive that the first round on Wednesday will not lead to the election of a new head of state.
According to al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Wednesday, the speaker will call for another round unless consensus among parliamentary blocs was reached over the name of the new president.
Lawmakers told the newspaper that Berri's call on the head of diplomatic missions in Lebanon and former Presidents to attend a legislative session then it would be an indication that consensus has been reached.
MPs said that the speaker informed all parliamentary blocs that he is ready to call for a parliamentary session on Friday afternoon and during the weekend if he sensed that there is possibility for agreement.
Wednesday's first round of parliamentary deliberations to vote for a new president is expected to fail to elect a new president amid disputes over the name of the new head of state, which threatens a vacuum at the helm of the country's most important Christian post.
Parliamentary blocs will vote for two candidates on Wednesday – a March 14 official, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc member, MP Henri Helou.
- H. K.
- G. K.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/127661 |