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.
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