Report: Obama, Pope Hope to Elect New Lebanese President before New Year
U.S. President Barack Obama and Pope Francis I had reportedly discussed the developments in Lebanon during their meeting during the pontiff's visit to the United States, reported the Kuwaiti daily al-Anba on Friday.
Informed sources from the Vatican told the daily that pledges were made by “influential international forces” to exert serious efforts to end the presidential vacuum in Lebanon “before the end of the year.”
The pope concluded earlier this week a five-day visit to the United States during which he held talks with Obama on numerous global affairs.
Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of a successor.
Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise candidate have thwarted the polls.
02 October 2015, 11:28
02
Elect the president by the people so the majority get to decide who it is. Otherwise the president should be shi3a, we've had enough with the marooniyat al siyasiya and it's constant unending efforts to marginilize us!
02 October 2015, 16:33
01
Ebola wants to make an Islamic Republic....why are you complaining?
02 October 2015, 17:04
00
The Resistance promised that it will be a secular Islamic Republic and we believe them.
02 October 2015, 18:11
10
If democracy came to Lebanon, probably the Shia majority would elect a Shia President and Shia-majority Parliament.
02 October 2015, 15:42
00
The presidential file is on hold until both Iran and KSA decide to kiss and make up otherwise forget it!
02 October 2015, 18:48
00
I don't understand why keep saying Christian President day should say Maronite "Mardaites" Christian President. If they going to elect Christian president there is other Christians in Lebanon!!!!!
Ps.The Mardaites or al-Jarajima (Syriac: ܡܪ̈ܕܝܐ; Arabic: الجراجمة / ALA-LC: al-Jarājimah; Greek: Μαρδαΐται) inhabited the highland regions of the Amanus Mountains. The Mardaites were Christians following either the Miaphysite or the Monothelite.[1] Little is known about their ethnicity, it has been speculated that they might have been Western Iranian or Armenian.[1][2] Their other Syriac/Arabic name "Gargumaye"/"Jarajima" suggests that some were natives of the town Jurjum in Cilicia. They were apparently joined later by Greek slaves and Aramaean peasants during their insurgency.
