Lebanese Forces criticize Berri's 'obstruction' of presidential elections

The media office of the Lebanese Forces party stated in a press release that Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri "has not only persisted in obstructing the presidential elections for over a year and four months but has also taken it upon himself to stifle any serious initiative for holding the presidential elections."

It said that his latest attempt was to "place obstacles in the path of the National Moderation bloc initiative, seeking to hinder it."

It added: "After the National Moderation bloc made strides in preparing for a natural and intuitive consultative meeting among parliamentary blocs in preparation for electing a president, Speaker Berri imposed conditions here and obstacles there. So, where is the problem if parliamentary blocs convene for a mini-parliamentary session in the Parliament? Isn't it customary, conventional, and logical to conduct this type of consultation as preparation for the presidential elections?"

The statement continued, "The irony lies in obstructing the presidential elections and distracting people every day with new 'news' far from reality and the Constitution."

"If Speaker Berri, you insist on your candidate, that is your right, but it is by no means your right to continue obstructing the presidential elections because you could not secure the parliamentary majority that authorizes victory."

"What is truly strange and perplexing is keeping Lebanon without a president and without constitutional regularity in one of the most critical phases the country is going through, only to achieve the equation of 'either our candidate or a vacuum, and let Lebanon deal with the consequences," it said.

The press release concluded, "What is truly strange and perplexing is the insistence on unconstitutional methods, as the presidential elections must take precedence in an open session and successive daily rounds until the election of a president."