Thursday, April 05, 2007

BKIRKI: Lebanon’s influential Council of Maronite Bishops fired a warning shot across the bow of the opposition on Wednesday, saying in a hard-hitting statement that presidential elections must be held on time. "We insist that the presidential elections take place on the date set by the Constitution, at the latest," the council said after its monthly meeting.

"Any attempts by any political power, or bloc or party to prevent the necessary quorum at the parliamentary session to elect the next president will be considered a violation of the Constitution and democratic principles," it added.

Several leading members of the opposition, including Reform and Change parliamentary bloc leader MP Michel Aoun, have said that presidential elections cannot be held while the current government, which the opposition considers "unconstitutional," remains in power.

President Emile Lahoud whose extended term is set to expire on November 22, has also said that elections will not be held on time due to the "illegitimacy" of the government.

The opposition and its allies say the Cabinet lost all legitimacy when six opposition ministers quit last November.

The election should not be linked to any previous agreement, the council added.

"Such a condition can constitute a means of pressure … to impose a president in contrast with democratic rules," it said.

The statement called for Parliament to be allowed to serve its purpose, while expressing support for the formation of an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and others, one day after the ruling coalition presented the United Nations with a petition to establish the court "by all alternative measures necessary."

"In order to avoid an escalation of political differences into violence, we call on Parliament to practice its constitutional and national roles … by deliberating over the crisis and finding solutions to it through democratic dialogue," the council said.

"The Maronite Church calls for activating dialogue within constitutional institutions, especially Parliament, which represents all political factions," it added. "Achieving this goal will be impossible if Parliament is not convened."

The statement, read by Monsignor Youssef Tawk, called on all parties to respect the "internal workings and structure" of Parliament "so that its work will not be hampered by a certain party, nor could another party wage a coup against it."

It warned that "disabling constitutional institutions is a harbinger to the collapse of the democratic regime."

The council urged all parties to sit down and find a solution to the four-month-old deadlock, with no preconditions.

"We call on political parties to resume dialogue … and to reject the conditions they have set up in order to facilitate the formation of a new government or settle the issue of the current one," it said. "The country cannot bear the continuation of the ongoing crisis."

Political parties were urged "to stop impeding" the role of constitutional institutions and replacing them with "undemocratic" practices.

"Such practices lead to a severe economic crisis and cause our youths to look for a source of living outside Lebanon," the council said