On Sunday, a Lebanese religious leader charged
lawmakers with abusing their "power and influence" by impeding the
process of electing a new president and the operations of state institutions.
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi
stated in his sermon on Sunday that the Arab and worldwide communities
denounced their "corruption" and that parliament should meet as
quickly as possible to choose a new president.
Yes, the president is a Maronite, but not all
voters are Maronites or Christians, he said.
"Christian leaders are in fact to blame
for the current presidential vacancy, but other people bear a bigger share of
the blame. We are therefore careful not to destroy the identity of neither the
president nor the republic since they are a guarantee of Lebanon's unity.
Christians cannot agree on the identity of the president, while others cannot
agree on the identity of the republic.
"Are you honouring your primary
constitutional duty of electing a president who legislates the job of
parliament and the administration," he continued, addressing the
lawmakers. Are you implementing the reforms that are demanded internationally?
Are you allowing the legal system to carry out its responsibilities and look
into the Beirut port explosion in order to learn the truth and enact justice?
"Are you carrying out the actions that
the World Monetary Fund and the international community require of you?"
Are you establishing a lawful order and getting rid of chaos, the spread of
illegal weapons, and the rule of the jungle?
Are you creating Lebanon's independence and
securing Lebanon's sovereignty over all of its lands?
Al-Rahi made his remarks following a meeting
of officials from France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and the US last week in
Paris to address the situation in Lebanon.
The French Foreign Ministry urged Lebanese
leaders to take the initiative to choose a new leader and implement the reforms
required to win over the world community.
Hezbollah-aligned political parties seek to
call a legislative session to pass a measure on capital controls and extend
Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim's contract as Lebanon's director general of security
when he is scheduled to retire. However, the proposal has been rejected by 46
opposition and reformist MPs who argue that doing so would be against the law.
MPs Melhem Khalaf and Najat Saliba are
protesting the deadlock in the presidential election by continuing their
parliamentary sit-in into its fifth week. They are requesting that voting
sessions continue until a new president has been chosen by Speaker Nabih Berri.
Separately, security forces fighting illegal
money changers have detained Ali Nimr Al-Khalil, a guard for an MP and a member
of the Amal movement.