Patriarch Rai urges protesters to focus on electing a president

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Lebanon patriarch raiMaronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai called on all the protesters not to be distracted by minor issues but to focus their demands on the election of a president.

“All the protesters should not be distracted by minor issues such as the the resignation of a minister or other. They must focus their demands on the election of a president,” said Rai on his second day tour of Mount Lebanon.

Rai has kicked off a three-day tour to the area the day on Saturday.

He addressed the politicians saying: “We cannot live without a president”

On Friday, the Patriarch conveyed a similar message, urging the campaigners of You Stink to take advantage of their demonstrations and call for the end of the vacuum at the top Christian post in the country.

You Stink campaigners kicked off their demonstrations in July in protest to a waste management crisis that left the country drowning in garbage.

Baabda Palace has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman’s term ended in May last year.

The Lebanese parliament failed earlier this month and for the 28th time in a row to elect a president to replace Suleiman.

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 a key ally of Hezbollah postponed the election to September 30 , 2015 .
Last week Berri chaired a dialogue session to try and end the presidential vacuum. The session failed in resolving the issue and another session is planed for the coming Wednesday

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