Lebanon fails to elect new president : Only 37 MPs had arrived at the parliament building to take part in the session

The Lebanese parliament failed Wednesday for the 42nd consecutive time to elect a new president due to lack of the constitutionally required quorum.

Speaker Nabih Berri called for a new session on Aug. 8.

• Lebanon has been without a president since the term of former president Michel Suleiman ended on May 25, 2014 and the sharp political division among the Lebanese parties hindered the elections of an incumbent.

"The political decision blocking the election of a president is still ongoing and history will pin the blame on those who are obstructing this vote," independent MP Butros Harb told reporters after the fruitless session.

• Only 37 MPs had arrived at the parliament building to take part in the session, while two thirds of the 128-seat parliament represents the required quorum.

• According to the National Pact, the president should be a Christian Maronite while the speaker is a Muslim Shiite and the premier is a Muslim Sunni.

The constitution stipulates that in case of the absence of a president, the Cabinet takes charge of running the country until the election of a president.

Hezbollah, MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the electoral sessions, demanding a prior agreement on the president.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Marada Movement Chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency, but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hezbollah.
 [Xinhua -globaltimes.cn]
14/7/16
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Related 9/2/16:

• Lebanon fails yet again to elect new president