Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh said Wednesday evening in remarks published by al Nahar on Thursday that “Lebanon is in a very dangerous situation , because it cannot be isolated from the current regional developments .
He pointed out that the “consensus presidential candidate is now the “vacuum “, adding :” If there was a consensus candidate, we would have come to the parliament . Cconsensus does not exist right now in Lebanon.”
He added : Consensus does not mean to have a consensus candidate. It could mean that the President could be from the March 8 alliance and the prime minister from the March 14 alliance , this is consensus. Why should we always have a consensus president ? ”
Commenting on the kidnapped army personnel he said: “the Lebanese army has a clear mandate from the government to do what it sees fit, and to do anything it can to release the hostages .”
Franjieh’s comments come 1 day after the Lebanese parliament failed on Tuesday and for the twelfth 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 Hezbollah -led March 8 alliance which also includes MP Michel Aoun’s Change and Reform bloc and Franjieh boycotted the sessions.
Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned the session on the election of a president to October 9 after the lack of quorum.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea who was the first to announce his candidacy for the presidential office blasted the March MPs over their failure to attend the session .
“Four months without a president is unacceptable, ” he said during a press conference
He added: “We presented our candidacy , proposed a solution to the deadlock, and attended electoral sessions. What else was the March 14 camp supposed to do?
“I am a candidate who is willing to accept the nomination of others.” He added
Aoun has not officially announced his candidacy, claiming there should be a consensus on him first, but Hezbollah never officially nominated him .
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