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U.S. ambassador calls on Lebanon to speed up electing new president

Xinhua, September 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

U.S. ambassador to Lebanon David Hale on Thursday urged the country to speed up electing a new president, one day after the Lebanese parliament failed for the 28th consecutive time to do so.

"America welcomes any efforts to reactivate a functioning government and cabinet. But there is a deeper issue. As the members of the U.N. Security Council reiterated yesterday, now is the time for parliament to meet and elect a president of the republic as soon as possible," Hale said after meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam at the Grand Serail.

"The international community's support for Lebanon's sovereignty, security and stability is as strong as ever," he added.

Lebanon has been without a president since the six-year term of former President Michel Suleiman ended on May 25, 2014. Due to sharp political division, the parliament has failed, for more than two dozens of times, to achieve the constitutionally required quorum of two thirds of the 128-seat parliament.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has called for a national dialogue conference on Sept. 9 to tackle the presidential vacuum, the work of the cabinet and the parliament, a new electoral law and ways to support the army and the Internal Security Forces.

The U.S. ambassador also highlighted the importance of protecting the right to "peaceful, non-violent protest," referring to the recent massive protests in the Lebanese capital Beirut that was triggered the waste crisis after the closure of the Naameh landfill, south of Beirut, on July 17.

"During these difficult times, Lebanon's people, leaders, and institutions should come together, not pull apart," Hale said.

The growing protest campaign over the waste crisis has ballooned into anger at a stagnant and corrupt political class, as clashes between the protesters and the security forces have left about 160 people injured. Endit