Bkirki Denies Proposing Election of President for Transitional Period

by Naharnet Newsdesk 26 April 2016, 08:12

Maronite Bishop Samir Mazloum denied on Tuesday reports that Bkirki has proposed the election of a president for a transitional period to resolve the country's political crisis.

“Bkirki is not the source of a proposal to elect a head of state for a two-year period,” Mazloum told As Safir newspaper published on Tuesday.

Former Speaker Hussein Husseini made the proposal to elect a president for one year, he said.

“But Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has not expressed his opinion on the matter because it is up to lawmakers firstly to take a decision on such issues,” said Mazloum.

“What concerns Bkirki is the swift election of a president to come out of the vacuum,” he told As Safir.

But Mazloum said the seat of the Maronite church would “give its blessing to an understanding” among the rival parties to elect Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun as president for a transitional stage if it was impossible to elect a head of state for a six-year term.

Reports have said lately that there is a proposal to elect Aoun for the presidency for two years.

Aoun is one of the main contenders for the country's top Christian post.

Baabda Palace has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman six-year tenure ended in May 2014.

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https://naharnet.com/stories/en/207874