by Xinhua & Naharnet – BEIRUT: Lebanon’s parliament failed to elect a president for the 5th time on Thursday, bringing the country closer to institutional deadlock amid a deep financial crisis. President Michel Aoun’s term ended on Oct. 31, leaving behind a political vacuum and divisions among political blocs over the makeup of a new cabinet. The voting session, which 108 deputies attended out of 128, resulted in 44 votes for parliament member Michel Mouawad, six votes for University professor Issam Khalife, one vote for former Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, and one vote for former Secretary General of Lebanon’s High Council for Privatization Ziad Hayek, as well as 47 blank votes, and scattered votes for political slogans.
Hezbollah rejects the candidacy of Mouawad, who is seen as close to the United States, and calls for a “compromise candidate” to be found. “Neither camp can impose a candidate, a compromise must be found and an understanding reached on a candidate acceptable to everyone,” deputy speaker Elias Bou Saab told AFP in an interview on Tuesday.
A second round was cancelled due to lack of quorum, after some MPs left the session before the second round as they did in the past four sessions. Former candidate for World Bank chief Ziad Hayek garnered one vote in the first round and seven MPS voted “The New Lebanon”. One MP voted “For Lebanon” and MP Michel Douaihy, who had announced last month his withdrawal from the Change bloc, voted “Plan B”. Change MPs demanded an open session until the election of a President. “The chamber must be locked, and the Lebanese must rally outside Parliament until a President is elected,” Change MP Elias Jradeh said. MP Melhem Khalaf said during and after the session that the constitution says that Parliament must stay convened until a president is elected. So did Kataeb chief MP Sami Gemayel. Both called for an open session even if it lasts for days, citing the Article 49 of the constitution.
The Change MPs did not vote for the same candidate in today’s session. While some voted for Khalifeh, MP Waddah al-Sadek voted for Mouawad, and MPs Marc Daou and Najat Saliba voted with a slogan, Daou said. Jradeh either voted for Baroud or Hayek. Amal, Hezbollah and the FPM cast again a blank vote. The Lebanese Forces, the Progressive Socialist party and al-Kataeb party endorsed Mouawwad again, along with other independent MPs. Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab had said that he will not cast a blank vote and that the FPM MPs have agreed that “blank ballots are no longer acceptable.” FPM MP Alain Aoun said after the session that by casting a blank vote, the FPM is giving a chance for further consultations, as he considered it pointless to vote for a candidate who will only get “twenty votes.” After the first round, Speaker Nabih Berri announced that the next session will be held next Thursday.
Lebanon has been without a fully functioning government since May. The government was already operating in a caretaker capacity as the country is sinking deeper into a three-year-old financial meltdown.
