Lebanese parliament fails to elect a new president

The Lebanese Parliament failed on Wednesday to elect a new president to succeed the current president, Michel Sleiman, whose term ends on 25 May. The first round of voting was held under the auspices of Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri and in the presence of 124 out of the 128 members who form the current Lebanese parliament.

During the first round of voting, a candidate needs to be approved by a two-thirds majority in order to win the presidency and according to the unwritten pact agreed in 1943, he or she must always be a Maronite Christian.

The first round saw Dr Samir Geagea, who heads the Lebanese Forces Party and is the candidate for the 14 March coalition, win 48 votes. MP Henry Helou, who is the candidate of the Progressive Socialist Party headed by Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, won 16 votes. The Kataeb Party head Amin Gemayel won only one vote.

52 MPs cast blank ballots, in addition to seven void ballots.

After announcing the results, Berri said that the next session for electing the president would be held on Wednesday.

According to the Lebanese constitution, during the second round of voting a candidate only needs 51 per cent, or 65 votes, to win the presidency.

Source: alamatonline.net