Patriarch Rai calls for Made-in-Lebanon President

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Lebanon patriarch rai

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai , the highest Christian spiritual authority in Lebanon called on politicians on Saturday to “descend from their thrones and engage in settlements to end the presidential crisis as they are failing a community, a history and a nation.

“Lebanon is passing through delicate circumstances and undergoing decay amid the lingering presidential vacuum,” The Patriarch said during a tour in the Batroun region .

“A decapitated body means death,” al-Rai said in describing the presidential stalemate.

He called on politicians to assume their responsibilities and elect a new head of state, saying: “You need to have the courage and free will, and posses a sense of responsibility to find a solution for the crisis.”

“We want a made-in-Lebanon president, who is consensual and wise,”the Patriarch stressed

The Lebanese parliament failed on May 13 and for the 23rd time in a row to elect a president to replace Michel Suleiman whose term ended on May 25.

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.

Speaker Nabih Berri postponed the election to June 3 , 2015 .

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea who was the first to announce his presidential candidacy blamed Hezbollah for the vacuum at the country’s top Christian post, saying the party has been insisting on backing a single candidate, in reference to Aoun, and not making compromises.

“Hezbollah’s top priority is the region’s crisis and not Lebanon,”Geagea said on May 13.

The failure of the Christians to agree on a candidate does not provide an excuse for Hezbollah to continue its boycott of sessions,” Geagea added.

According to an observer unless the constitution is amended this kind of scenario could be repeated in any future election of a president . The observer suggests that the constitution should be changed to force MPs to show up at the parliament to vote whichever way they want or, strip any MP of his or her credentials if he/she doesn’t show up to elect a president. If all fails then the parliament should be dissolved .

According to media reports Lebanon will not get a president before Iran gets its nuclear deal from the west in June . The reports indicate that Hezbollah is awaiting a green light from its backer Iran before it sends its MPS to the parliament .

The reports stressed that Iran is using Hezbollah and Lebanon’s election to put pressure on the west to secure a favorable deal.

No hope

Speaker Nabih Berri who is allied with Hezbollah and Aoun criticized the lawmakers for not showing up at the sessions to elect a president and said that he does not see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Leaving the democratic game is what brought us to this end. Its a pity that the parliament held two dozen sessions to elect a president (and failed) and I still do not see a light o at the end of the tunnel ,” Berri told al-Mustaqbal daily in comments published on Saturday.

Holding each politician responsible for that failure, Berri said: “I hold the whole political strata responsible for that failure and for the dark tunnel of obstruction they brought us to.”

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8 responses to “Patriarch Rai calls for Made-in-Lebanon President”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    “We want a made-in-Lebanon president, who is consensual and wise,”….
    Well, Rai, we know we can’t always get what we want. ‘Wise’ would be good for a starter.
    I know a woman who would be good … 😉

  2. nagy_michael2 Avatar
    nagy_michael2

    I am not sure why the Maronite are assigned the Presidency even though the agreement was to appoint a Christian President. Having the law that is only appoints only Maronite president anyway, then when the Gov’t fails to appoint one, then the Patriarch and the governance of the Moronite Church should be step in and appoint one. Otherwise Aoun and Hezbollah need to show their faces in the parliament and vote for one. Whoever has the majority by at least 10% higher then they should elect that person as President. Simple and clear. but in Lebanon even fixing a pothole could be complicated and could be left untouched for years because nobody want to sacrifice their precious time and fix it. Yet they tend to go around and the officials of the gov’t. blame the gov’t for not fixing it. I don’t understand that concept aren’t these officials are representatives of the gov’t? we like to look good always on the outside but we are nothing but a backward country full of hypocrites and fake ass people.

    1. Hend Abyad Avatar
      Hend Abyad

      🙂 funny.

      1. nagy_michael2 Avatar
        nagy_michael2

        well sometimes you have to make light of things and laugh at the utter craziness that’s been going for decades. I mean let’s take electricity how many times in the past you heard Kuwait or the Gulf countries have donated 100 of millions of dollars to rebuild the power plants. yet until now we are going backward. in the past we had one minister against another now we have progressed M14 Vs M8 parties. I wish we call them socialist vs narcissist or vice versa. after a while we look like fools following and defending these idiots in the gov’t no matter what party or sect they belong. I could on and on but it won’t matter. have a great night Hend.

        1. Hend Abyad Avatar
          Hend Abyad

          “I wish we call them socialist vs narcissist or vice versa. after a while we look like fools (..) haha..hh..good night

    2. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Need a decent Protestant in there … There’s ONE Lady Minister of a church available.

      1. Hannibal Avatar
        Hannibal

        Male Maronite Malak 😛

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