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Patriarch Rai after meeting Salam: Lawmakers duty is to elect new president

19-05-2014 | 05:45

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Patriarch Rai after meeting Salam: Lawmakers duty is to elect new president

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Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai visited on Monday Prime Minister Tammam Salam at the Grand Serail to hold talks with him.

Following the meeting, Salam said that he shared with Rai similar views on all issues that will help the rise of the state, adding that "Patriarch Rai is the Patriarch of all the Lebanese sects."

Salam also reiterated his warning against the failure to elect a new president and against a potential presidential vacuum.

In turn, Patriarch Rai said that he has great trust in Salam, adding that he visited him at the Grand Serail to congratulate him on the government's efforts to revive the state and to explain to him that his planned visit to the Holy Land has purely religious purposes.

Two weeks ago, Rai confirmed he would join Pope Francis on his upcoming historic trip to occupied Jerusalem later this month, becoming the first head of Lebanon’s Maronite Church to visit Israel since it was founded in 1948.

Because Lebanon considers itself technically in a state of war with Israel, Lebanese citizens and officials are banned under Lebanese laws from visiting Israel.

Rai also said that he discussed with Salam the presidential elections and the need to hold them on time to avoid vacuum.

Rai concluded by saying that the lawmaker's duty is to elect a new head of state.

Lebanese parliament is scheduled to hold the fifth round of the presidential polls on Thursday.

Lawmakers failed in the previous rounds to elect a new president over disputes between the March 8 and 14 camps.

President Michel Sleiman's six-year mandate ends on Sunday.

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