Patriarch Rai rejects M8 offer to allow Aoun to be a president

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A delegation from the Hezbollah -led March 8 alliance visited Bkirki and proposed  to Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai  amending the constitution for one time only  by reducing the presidential term from 6 to 2 years to allow FPM leader Michel Aoun to be  elected as    consensus president , but the Maronite spiritual  leader rejected the offer  according to a report by An Nahar published on Friday .

“Can’t you see the destruction that is going on in Lebanon, do you want more destruction” , Rai reportedly told the delegation when he rejected their proposal.

Rai criticized  March 8 Christian leaders for boycotting the presidential vote and he  displayed during  the meeting the signatures of Aoun and Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh promising never to obstruct the presidential vote .

The Lebanese parliament failed for the fifth time in a row to hold a session to elect the country’s new president to replace Michel Suleiman whose terms ends on May 25.

As in the previous sessions , the vote could not be held as lawmakers allied with the Iranian backed Hezbollah militant group boycotted the voting for lack of agreement on a consensus president.

Aoun has not announced his candidacy but he aspires to become a consensual nominee and has reportedly been begging the Future Movement to back him , but so far the movement is sticking with  Lebanese Forces leader Samir  Geagea, who is the only candidate that announced his presidential program