2nd Round of Presidential Elections Fails, Berri Sets New Session for May 7
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربيةLawmakers once again failed on Wednesday to elect a new president as differences between the March 8 and 14 alliances led to a lack of quorum in the second parliamentary session aimed at choosing a new head of state.
While the March 14 camp held onto its candidate Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance, except for Speaker Nabih Berri's Development and Liberation bloc, boycotted the second round of the elections over lack of consensus on one candidate.
Berri set Wednesday, May 7 for a third round of voting.
Geagea garnered the votes of 48 MPs in the first round last week. Aley MP Henri Helou, who is a centrist from the Democratic Gathering bloc, received the votes of 16 lawmakers.
One voted for Kataeb party chief ex-President Amin Gemayel and 52 MPs from the March 8 alliance cast blank ballots and then walked out of the session.
But March 8 MPs told several media outlets in parliament that there would be the needed two-thirds quorum (86) of the 128-member parliament only if there was consensus on one candidate, a reference to Free Patriotic Movement chief and head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun.
Al-Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat snapped back, saying “If Aoun wants to be a consensual candidate, then he should adopt the March 14 stance from Hizbullah's arsenal and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon."
Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Nawar al-Sahili told reporters that “there should be consensus so that there is quorum in parliament.”
Change and Reform bloc MP Nabil Nicolas also stressed that the president should be consensual.
“Our moves are aimed at reaching national consensus,” he said about the boycott.
He accused the March 14 alliance and Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat without naming them of causing an obstruction in the parliamentary session for insisting on backing the candidacies of respectively Geagea and Helou.
Many of the March 8 MPs were in parliament in a show of support to al-Akhbar newspaper's editor-in-chief Ibrahim al-Amin and al-Jadeed TV's deputy head of news Karma al-Khayyat, who have been summoned by the STL over allegations of contempt.
MP Emile Rahme said: “We came here in support of al-Jadeed and al-Akhbar daily and not to participate in the session.”
“Our non-attendance is a constitutional right. We will exercise it until a consensual president is elected,” he said.
March 14 MP Butros Harb, who met with Berri before the speaker set a 3rd round to elect a president, hoped that the efforts being exerted to end the “vicious cycle” would lead to results.
Berri has said he would change his approach if there was another lack of quorum next week.
G.K.
M.T.
Thank you March 8 for this beautiful lesson of Democracy, and wonderful demonstration of respect for our institutions!
imagine that march 8 had 6 years to choose a candidate and they have not! they have had the past 6 months to agree on a candidate and they have not!
imagine how the politicians push the teachers' union to strike at this time! why didnt the unions strike when march 8 cabinet was in power? this whole country is corrupt!
the MPs had 6 years to address the quorum issue! no where in the constitution does it say that 2/3 quorum is needed after the first round! this should have been judicially challenged!
once again aoun and his corrupt bloc violate all the promises during bkirki meetings to attend the election sessions! once again aoun hurts the christians!
once again the batrak is scared to call things as they are! the batrak is either with the elections and democracy and the state or he is not!
M8 is what makes Lebanon a 4rth world country !
Their democratic models inspired by Iran and Syria show the world that their MPs are unfit to participate in Lebanese political life.
They can simply show up and vote blank.
But instead, they "failed" to fulfill their democratic DUTY. In fact, their term is expired and they should not event be allowed to vote.
Let's hope the next parliament will reflect the real weight of Lebanese citizens fed up with rotten politicians, particularly those of M8 who are dogs barking on behalf of Syria and Iran !
nothing will change, not now not in a 1000 years. The new generation is much worse than their predecessors.
Not necessarily ! Revolutions happen and the people are on the verge of exploding into an unstoppable firestorm.
The people will wake up from their illusions and remove the traitors from power, disarm political parties, and put an end to this Heresy and lie you call Hezbollah...
Eagledawn
I hope to God you are wrong. I am putting all my hopes in the new generation to make Lebanon a better place to live. Should you prove right Lebanon is doomed
@FT : In a 1,000 years :)
That's what you said about Revolution happening in Syria. Then you sent your terrorists in to sabotage it !
That's what Mubarak believed...
That's what Tunisians believed ..
Sissies are those who hold on to power using indimidation and weapons.
Those who don't want change.
Those who are too scared, "for whom changing this world, would mean send their world to hell, and destroy an illusion, that served them so well !"
In 1,000 years FT, people will talk about how the human race reached new lows with religion used as an excuse to fuel wars just like what happened over 1,000 of years. Driven by Ayatollas and Cheikhs and the masses of ignorant idiots who follow them !
13 MPs from those who support fake democracy attended while the defenders of christians the FPM and the defenders of Lebanon the resistance where nowhere to be seen.
They do not want to elect a president a president but they want to appoint a president. What happened to the promises given to Bkirki, what happened to the Bkirki national pact.... a tragedy, a conspiracy against the democratic process and life in this life-less country.
M14 wants to put an Israeli supporter President just like Sulaiman. You already had the chance, so forget about it. Embrace the bravery of the Resistance. Then there would be mutual respect and peace between all factions.
@Mystic : the only Israeli supporters in Lebanon are Hezbollah !
In fact, they cannot exist without Israel! The only reason Hezbollah exists is to create a buffer zone between Palestinian refugees and Israel... all the rest is an illusion !
And Suleiman, despite anything you can say is the most respectful president brought to power since the end of the war.
Your syrian dog, Lahoud, for example is any better ?
And about "embracing the resistance", the resistance can embrace HONIK Charghlé. There is nothing brave about the resistance. They are a humiliation to Lebanese across the world ! They are traitors under the orders of Iran.
In fact, they are not even a Lebanese resistance. They call themselves ISLAMIC RESISTANCE IN LEBANON and were setup by Iranians ! No drop of Lebanese blood there. SO SHOVE YOUR RESISTANCE!
To understand what H.A. primary role is, is to uncover the terms of the agreement between the two that led to Israel's withdrawal. If you ask those who were implicit, their response is always: "politics". So what does "politics" mean in a divided country?
I Swear by God All Mighty your Hyzbshytan is in the Majority in the Shia Sect ONLY... They are in the MINORITY with the Lebanese and Syrians in Syria as a WHOLE...
You Murdering EVIL THUGs who Israel loves.
Missy... are you proud of your avatar... this terrorist, murderer, assassin of civilians, politicians, women, priest,innocents...
They probably wanted to spare you further embarrassments you nitwit, no one voted for her husband or anyone else yesterday there was no quorum hence no vote.