US legislators urge 'measures' against presidential vote obstructors

The Co-Chairs of the U.S.-Lebanon Friendship Caucus in the U.S. Congress -- Representatives Darrell Issa, Darrin LaHood and Debbie Dingell -- have sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding Lebanon’s stalled presidential election.

“Lebanon has been without a president since October 2022. Since then, the Lebanese Parliament has sought to elect a president eleven times. On Wednesday, June 14, 2023, Parliament will attempt to elect a president once again. It is time for those who seek to undermine the

parliamentary process, block open election procedures, and continue to prevent multiple rounds of ballots to either resolve the impasse and allow the country to move forward, or be held accountable,” the three lawmakers said in their letter.

“It is concerning that in the past, the Parliament’s balloting was not allowed to go to a second round, once again preventing the selection of a candidate and further prolonging the political, economic, and humanitarian crises in Lebanon,” they added.

The U.S. Representatives warned that the inability to select a president is “playing out against the backdrop of what the World Bank has estimated is one of the worst economic collapses since the 1850s.”

“Since 2019, Lebanon’s economy has disintegrated, leaving over three-quarters of the population in poverty. On June 8, 2023, the International Monetary Fund warned that Lebanon must take immediate action on economic reforms to prevent ‘irreversible damage’ to the economy. The duly elected Lebanese Parliament cannot move forward with legislation to implement much needed economic reforms until a president is elected,” Issa, LaHood and Dingell said.

Noting that the United States has “a strong interest in a stable, independent Lebanon,” the lawmaker warned that “the presidential vacancy stands in the way of such cooperation.”

“If Parliamentary leaders and other political elites are unable to follow through on Lebanon’s own constitution, preserve a quorum, and allow the multiple rounds of balloting necessary for the selection of a president, the United States and our partners and allies in the region, must consider more serious measures,” they urged.

“We believe that the Administration should emphatically restate the importance of selecting a president who will represent the needs of the Lebanese people and move forward with necessary economic reforms before it is too late. We request your urgent attention to this matter,” the U.S. legislators added.