BEIRUT, Feb 12 (NNN-NNA) – Forty-six members of Lebanon’s 128-seat parliament, announced yesterday that, they will not participate in any legislative session, before electing a new president of the country.
A statement by the MPs states that, they will boycott all forthcoming legislative sessions, in light of the presidential vacuum.
The statement was signed by independent MPs, as well as, MPs from the Forces of Change, Kataeb and Lebanese Forces.
In their statement, the 46 MPs support their claim with Article 75 of the Lebanese Constitution, which stipulates: “The Chamber meeting to elect the President of the Republic shall be considered an electoral body and not a legislative assembly. It must proceed immediately, without discussion of any other act, to elect the Head of State.”
Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri, called for 11 parliamentary sessions, to elect a president since last Sept, but they failed to elect a new president when the term of former President, Michel Aoun, ended on Oct 31, 2022.
Prime Minister-designate, Najib Mikati, failed to form a new government before Aoun left office, making his government go into caretaker mode. Lebanon has an unprecedented dual executive-level power vacuum, in the absence of both a president and a fully-empowered government.
Lebanon needs a new president and an effective government, capable of undertaking major structural reforms, to unlock aid from the International Monetary Fund, which might put the country on the path of recovery.– NNN-NNA