UN special coordinator for Lebanon urges for swift president election

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka called Wednesday for the election of a new president "without further delay."

"We are now into the fifth month of presidential vacuum in Lebanon," Wronecka said in a tweet.

She added that responding to the growing and legitimate needs of the people requires electing a president without further delay.

"Political leaders are expected to prioritize national interest at this critical moment," Wronecka said.

Lebanon has been without a head of state since Michel Aoun's mandate expired last year, with a caretaker cabinet overseeing the responsibilities of government amid a financial collapse that is stretching into its third year and this week saw the local currency reach a record low against the U.S. dollar.

The embattled local currency, which in three years has lost more than 95 percent of its value, dropped to a new low Wednesday against the U.S. dollar as it traded over 89,000 to the dollar, compared with 60,000 at the start of February.