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Beirut (AFP) – The Lebanese parliament, Thursday, failed once once more to elect a new president, in light of deep divisions that raise fears of a vacuum in the presidency following the expiration of President Michel Aoun’s term at the end of this month.
Fifty-five deputies voted with a white paper, including those affiliated with the Hezbollah bloc.
MP Michel Moawad, who is supported by the Lebanese Forces led by Samir Geagea and other blocs, including the bloc of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, received 42 votes, while he needs 86 votes to win in the first round. Michel Moawad, the son of former Lebanese President Rene Moawad, obtained 36 votes in the first session to elect a president on October 13.
The failure of the parliament, which includes 128 deputies, to agree on a candidate so far, indicates that the electoral process may take a long time, which further complicates the situation in the country mired in a severe financial crisis and where constitutional deadlines are rarely respected.
MP Sami Gemayel, head of the Kataeb Party, told reporters in parliament, “We are still working to unite the opposition’s ranks around one name, but we are facing difficulties, and we hope to close ranks in the coming days as the elections approach on the 31st of the month.”
For his part, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said, “So far, there is no consensus, and there is no comprehensive dialogue between the different blocs in the first place… Therefore, the scenes that we see will be repeated, and I think that the sessions will intensify in the last ten days.”
Major blocs, including Hezbollah, the most prominent political and military force, oppose supporting Moawad’s candidacy, describing him as a “challenging” candidate. Mouawad is known for his closeness to the Americans.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has set a date for the next session on October 24. The last session was not held on September 29 due to the lack of a quorum.
On Friday, during a visit to Beirut on October 14, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna urged Lebanese officials to avoid the presidential vacuum and expedite the election of a successor to President Aoun.
“The constitutional entitlement must be respected, it is an urgent need for Lebanon,” Colonna said, stressing that “Lebanon can no longer bear the unprecedented economic crisis.”
Aoun was elected president in 2016 following a presidential vacancy lasted more than two years due to the failure of parliamentarians to agree on a candidate.
Since 2019, Lebanon has witnessed an economic collapse that the World Bank ranked among the worst in the world, with which the local currency has lost regarding 95 percent of its value on the black market, and more than 80 percent of its population has become below the poverty line.
Under Lebanon’s sectarian political system, the president must be a Maronite Christian.
© 2022 AFP