إنّ الكشف عن عشرات شبكات التجسس الإسرائيلية،التي عملت محلياً واقليميا على مراقبة القوى العسكرية وكذلك على مراقبة حزب الله والفصائل الفلسطينية، على …

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A decision by Lebanon's leading Sunni Muslim politician to step back from politics and boycott a parliamentary election in May must not be used as an excuse to call for a delay, the Maronite Christian patriarch said on Sunday. Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rai said he was surprised by three times-former prime minister Saad al-Hariri's decision and said he hoped Sunnis would still take part so the election "expresses the position of all Lebanese". "Given the importance of this parliamentary (election), we must all confront attempts to circumvent it," Rai said, noting the new parliament would elect President Michel Aoun's replacement. Referring to Hariri's decision, he said "it is not allowed for some to invoke the new reality and promote the postponement of the parliamentary elections". He did not say to whom he was referring.

Lebanon's 2018 election produced a majority for the heavily armed, Iran-backed Shi'ite group Hezbollah and its allies, who include Aoun. Its adversaries hope to overturn this in May. Rai is a critic of Hezbollah https://www.reuters.com/world/lebanons-top-christian-cleric-criticizes-hezbollah-leaked-video-2021-04-01, saying it has harmed Lebanon by dragging it into regional conflicts. Hezbollah, designated a terrorist group by Washington, is part of an Iran-led alliance vying for regional influence with U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states. While none of Lebanon's main parties have called for an election delay, many observers believe this may well suit a number of influential players, though not adversaries of Hezbollah, such as the Christian Lebanese Forces party. Western states want the vote to go ahead on time. Saad will leave a fractured Sunni community in his wake.

المشكلة في الاجابة على الرسالة العربية الخليجية ليست في الصلاحيات، فالمادة ٥٢ من الدستور واضحة وتنص على تولي رئيس الجمهورية بالاتفاق مع …

By Najia Houssari -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Aoun made a surprise visit to Dar Al-Fatwa on Saturday, where he met with Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian, the highest authority in Sunni Islam in the country, amid fears of a Sunni boycott of Lebanon’s political process. Aoun stressed the role “that the Sunni community plays in preserving Lebanon’s unity and political diversity, and the importance of participating alongside all other components in national and political life, as well as all elections that define the future of Lebanon and its people. “Arrangements are underway so that the parliamentary elections are held as scheduled, and there is no reason to postpone them,” he added, stressing that “the Sunni community is an essential component, and we do not support its boycott of the elections.”

Aoun’s visit to Dar Al-Fatwa was described by political observers as “an attempt to remedy what can no longer be remedied; too little, too late.” A source close to the former prime minister of Lebanon, Fouad Siniora, told Arab News: “The damage was done to the Sunni community when Aoun obstructed all attempts made by PM-designate Saad Hariri to form his government. Aoun went further by insulting Hariri, calling him a liar. “Lebanon’s relationship with the Gulf states was also damaged as a result of the positions of Aoun and Hezbollah regarding the abuse committed against Saudi Arabia. It’s pointless to resort to Dar Al-Fatwa now.”