Berri Says Parliament Could Elect President in 36 Hours if Maronites Agree

Speaker Nabih Berri blamed on Saturday the rival Maronite parties for the ongoing presidential vacuum, estimating that the elections could be staged in less than 36 hours if they agreed on a consensual candidate.

“I would retreat and hold a sit-in at the parliament until they head to the legislature,” Berri said in comments to An Nahar newspaper, saying that the sharp rift between the Christian rival parties is behind the ongoing vacuum.

“We are able to elect a president in less than 36 hours if they agree.”

Lebanon has been without a president, who is also the commander-in-chief, since May because of disagreements between the March 14 and 8 alliances.

Hizbullah and the Change and Reform bloc have been boycotting electoral sessions due to a disagreement with the March 14 camp over a compromise presidential candidate.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, who is a candidate, had previously accused them of adopting such measures in order to blackmail political blocs into electing Free Patriotic chief MP Michel Aoun as president.

The Lebanese government has decided on Friday to cancel Independence Day celebrations for the first time since the 1975-1990 civil war because of the country's presidential vacuum.

Lebanon was due to mark the 71st anniversary of its independence on Saturday with a parade involving all the country's security forces.

The cancellation is the first since the end of the civil war.

The day is usually marked with a speech to the nation by the president on the eve of the holiday and a military parade on the day itself in Beirut, attended by the country's political leadership.