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Lebanon's political deadlock continues as presidency vacant for almost a year

Xinhua, May 13, 2015 Adjust font size:

For the 23rd consecutive time, the Lebanese parliament failed on Wednesday to elect a new president due to the country's long-standing political split.

The latest failed attempt marks almost a whole year during which the country is without a head of state since the six-year term of former President Michel Suleiman ended in May last year.

According to the power sharing pact, the president should be a Christian Maronite, the speaker a Muslim Shiite while the prime minister a Muslim Sunni.

As per the constitution, the government of Prime Minister Tammam Salam is charged with running the country until a new president is elected.

Failure to reach the required two-thirds quorum was because the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group and its ally Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc MPs, among others, boycotted the sessions.

According to a press release by his media office, Speaker Nabih Berri called for a new electoral session on June 3.

The March 14 camp led by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri is backing Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea for the post, whilst the Hezbollah-led March 8 camp supports the Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.

The Centrist Democratic Gathering led by MP Walid Jumblatt supports its member MP Henri Helou. Endite