Former Lebanese president and current Phalange part leader Amin Gemayel questioned the ongoing vacancy in the presidency and the “suicide of Christians” who are contributing to the vacuum, according to an interview with the daily An Nahar newspaper that was published on Saturday
“Dialogue that does not lead to a quorum at the parliament and the election of a president is useless.” Gemayel said.
His remarks were in reference to the dialogue between the rival Lebanese Forces and Free Patriotic Movement.
“The obstruction of the role of the presidency is suicidal for Christians and state institutions,” he declared.
“The worst that we can do is grow accustomed to the vacuum,” Gemayel stressed.
“Hezbollah and the Change and Reform bloc should stop obstructing the quorum,” demanded Gemayel.
Coup against the constitution
“The constitution includes articles on how to protect the country. Manipulating these articles to obstruct the constitution is tantamount to a coup,” he remarked.
“In some countries, lawmakers who fail to attend parliament sessions are punished. The current developments in Lebanon amount to a coup against the constitution and the Lebanese system,” said Gemayel
He attributed the obstruction to some side’s aspiration to be elected president “even though they are all he has no chance of being elected .” A possible reference to Aoun
“Whatever his motives, he does not seem to be bothered by the vacuum,” added Gemayel
“It is clear that Hezbollah is collaborating with Aoun.” He stressed
He expressed concern that the changes affecting the Arab countries could spread to Lebanon, emphasizing that the Lebanese should assume the responsibility in deterring such change.
“We should take into consideration all possibilities and ask where the vacuum is taking us,” he told An Nahar.
Parliament failed again
The Lebanese parliament failed earlier this month and for the 21st time in a row to elect a president to replace Michel Suleiman whose six-year term ended on May 25th last year.
As in the past sessions the parliament was unable to reach a quorum because the Iranian backed Hezbollah militant group and its ally MP Michel Aoun’s Change and Reform bloc MPs boycotted the sessions.
Hezbollah reportedly wants Aoun to be the consensus candidate , but the majority of the parliament members do not consider him a consensus candidate, mainly because of his alliance with Hezbollah , Iran and Syria.
Aoun said last month that he supports Hezbollah intervention in Syria and assured a pro Hezbollah newspaper that he was an integral part of the so called axis of resistance (Iran-Syria-Hezbollah).
“I am definitely in the axis of the resistance against the ISIS and Israel,” Aoun told al-Akhbar newspaper on March 10.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea who was the first to announce his candidacy accused Iran of being behind the presidential vacuum in Lebanon
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