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Lebanon's PM warns danger of prolonged vacuum in presidential post

Xinhua, May 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

Lebanon's Prime Minister Tammam Salam warned Tuesday that the prolonged vacuum in the presidential post "threatens the Lebanese entity" and "inflicts major damage on Lebanon as a country."

In a statement marking the one year vacancy of the Presidential post, Salam lamented Tuesday that "some parties are slow to end the presidential vacuum despite the threats facing the country."

He warned that Lebanon is appearing as a "failed state" and that the Lebanese population "has given the impression that they are incapable of solving their problems alone."

"The presidential vacuum impedes state interests and that of the Lebanese population," the premier cautioned.

The six-year term of former President Michel Suleiman ended May 25th 2014 and parliament failed to convene and elect a new President 23 consecutive times.

According to the constitution, the cabinet assumes presidential powers in case of a vacuum in the first post.

Salam added "no one can replace the country's president who must be elected by parliament and the constitution allows the government to temporarily adopt his powers."

He pointed out that "some parties interpreted consensus differently with regards to passing cabinet decisions, which set back the government's work, however, we eventually managed to find a new approach which overcame the gridlock policy."

Nonetheless he stressed that "applying the constitution is not an opinion, rather a sacred national duty," adding "it is no longer acceptable to suspend the Lebanese political life and reserve the Lebanese as prisoners of the surrounding crises."

He noted that higher national interests oblige the Lebanese parties to "seek immediate consensus for the vacuum crisis" warning that "any other solution implying the victory of one camp over another is a recipe for larger and greater critical crisis."

He added "until that is achieved, we will uphold our work at the head of the national coalition government, whilst simultaneously focusing on Lebanon's interests." Endit