Vetoes block the list of consensus candidates drawn up by the Patriarch Sfeir to succeed the current President of the Republic whose term ends on the 24th. International diplomacy is intensified.

Beirut (AsiaNews) – The crucial week, the last chance to “rule” on the election of the new President of the Republic, given that the current post of Emile Lahoud empire on November 24th, opened with an affirmation by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who says he has “little hope” that the issue will be resolved. Parliament has been convened for the day before.

Kouchner’s pessimism, cancelling his earlier optimism, finds its source in what the daily An Nahar called “crossed vetoes” which greeted Maronite Patrriach, Nasrallah Sfeir’s list of “consensus” candidates. The political parties had explicitly asked for the Cardinal’s intervention, with an aim to ”unblock a dramatic situation”, as described by the Patriarch himself.  Yesterday during mass, card. Sfeir launched a fresh appeal to all those responsible, to “take on their responsibility for the good of the country above all in this most crucial moment”.

The presidential deadline is involving International diplomacy: at the end of the UN secretary Genral Ban Ki-moon’s visit, yesterday Kouchner returned to Lebanon, today Arab League Amr Moussa is due to arrive while Italy and Spain’s’ foreign ministers Massimo D’Alema and Miguel Angel Moratinos are also on their way.

But what is filling the press and conversation in Beirut, are the vetoes.  In substance the opposition led by Hezbollah is said to have excluded the names of Butros Harb, Nassib Lahoud, Robert Ghanem and Michel Khoury, while they would accept Michel Edde and central bank governor, Riad Salameh. For its part the ruling majority would ban Michel Edde. No “no” has surrounded the name of the opposition’s main candidate Michel Aoun, who in a recent interview with Hezbollah TV Al Manar said he refused the “idea of having his name included in a list which contains those of candidates without a popular following and who have had no parliamentary mandate”.  Against this imposition the name of the Army Chief of Staff is being circulated, Michel Suleiman, however he is not on the list.

Those who officially received the list - Saad Hariri, Chief of the Parliamentary majority “March 14” and  Nabih Berr, Parliamentary Speaker, and chief of op position Amal,– are meanwhile discussing the list with their respective factions, in search of a difficult solution. (PD)

 

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• sfeir
• maronite
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