LEBANON-POLITICS/PRESIDENT Lebanon president vote influenced by regional conflict, says MP

Record ID: 144223

  • Title: LEBANON-POLITICS/PRESIDENT Lebanon president vote influenced by regional conflict, says MP
  • Date: 12th August 2015
  • Summary: BEIRUT, LEBANON (AUGUST 12, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF LEBANESE PARLIAMENT BUILDING LEBANESE FLAG ON TOP OF PARLIAMENT BUILDING CARS CARRYING LEBANESE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT (MPS) ARRIVING AT PARLIAMENT BUILDING MPS WALKING IN TO PARLIAMENT BUILDING VARIOUS OF MPS GATHERING INSIDE PARLIAMENT LEBANESE MP, STRIDA GEAGEA, INSIDE PARLIAMENT LEBANESE PARLIAMENT SECRETARY GENERAL, ADNAN DAHER, ANNOUNCING IN ARABIC THAT THE SESSION WILL BE POSTPONED TO SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2015 AT 12 NOON VARIOUS OF MPS SEATED IN PARLIAMENT VARIOUS OF LEBANESE SECURITY MEMBERS IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT BUILDING MP'S CAR LEAVING PARLIAMENT BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, MOHAMMED KABBANI, SAYING: "No one can today expect to have an answer on why we haven't elected a president yet. We still expect the election to take more time, this is certainly related to what is happening in the region. We have to wait and see what will happen in the post Western-Iranian nuclear agreement." VARIOUS OF LEBANESE SECURITY MEMBER STANDING OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, SAMER SAADE, SAYING: "The country is in the midst of a security and economic deterioration, you can see how things are going in the region around us. Those who are stopping the presidential election are playing with the fate of the Lebanese people in general, what can we say? Look at how things went today." EXTERIOR OF PARLIAMENT BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 27th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lebanon
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2AJFIFNBCCUJRKRY1FKNE42NK
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Lebanese lawmakers failed to elect a president on Wednesday (August 9), with some lawmakers blaming the issue on regional events.
    Parliament Secretary General Adnan Daher said he would postpone a vote for a new president until September 2 because not enough parliamentarians turned up at the assembly.
    Political groups have boycotted sessions in recent weeks and blamed each other for the deadlock.
    Wednesday's session was the 27th attempt to elect a president to succeed Michel Suleiman whose term ended in May 2014 because lawmakers cannot agree on a candidate.
    The absence of a head of state has prolonged a political vacuum as the country struggles with violence, economic decline and an influx of Syrian refugees.
    The civil war in neighbouring Syria has aggravated long-standing rivalries in Lebanon, where political power is divided among religious communities - the presidency goes to a Maronite Christian, the parliament speaker is a Shi'ite Muslim and the prime minister a Sunni.
    Politicians from the March 8 coalition, which includes Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah, support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
    The rival March 14 coalition backs Assad's opponents.
    Member of parliament Mohamed Kabbani from the March 14 movement said the outcome could hinge on the nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran, under which sanctions will be lifted against Tehran in exchange for a curb on its nuclear programme.
    "No one can today expect to have an answer on why we haven't elected a president yet. We still expect the election to take more time, this is certainly related to what is happening in the region. We have to wait and see what will happen in the post Western-Iranian nuclear agreement," said Kabbani.
    Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in July he believed his group could still count on Iran's support following the nuclear deal with world powers.
    Another MP from the same movement said the failure to elect a president comes at a time when Lebanon is experiencing a number of challenges.
    "The country is in the midst of a security and economic deterioration, you can see how things are going in the region around us. Those who are stopping the presidential election are playing with the fate of the Lebanese people in general, what can we say? Look at how things went today," said Lebanese MP Samer Saade.
    The presidency has fallen victim to political deadlock rooted in Lebanese rivalries that have been complicated by competition between regional states, notably Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have a decisive influence over Lebanese politics.
    A government formed in February with Saudi-Iranian blessing has spared Lebanon a complete political void at the top but it has struggled to take decisions and the parliament is barely functioning.
    The vote on Wednesday came a day after Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Beirut where he is expected to discuss issues including a "new plan" on resolving the crisis in neighbouring Syria.
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