Lebanese President leaves palace as term ended

Lebanon is currently witnessing presidential vacuum as outgoing President Michel Suleiman ended his 6-year-term on Saturday without having a successor.

A farewell ceremony was held for Suleiman at the presidential palace on Saturday.

With the end of Suleiman’s term, Lebanon enters an indefinite period of presidential vacuum as Parliament failed to elect a successor.

Sulaiman’s powers should be transferred to the government of Prime Minister Tammam Salam, which is tasked with preparations for parliamentary elections to be held later this year.

The power-sharing agreement in Lebanon stipulates that the president should be a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslims and the Parliament Chairman a Shiite Muslim.

An agreement that followed the Lebanese civil war reduced the powers of the president, granting more powers to the government and the prime minister.