Rai warns of delaying elections for personal benefits, regrets cabinet convening ‘conditionally’-[VIDEO]

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai warned on Sunday against disrupting the elections for “personal and suspicious” goals.

He urged all Lebanese parties to put Lebanon’s interest above all else, and to participate in the elections for change not for elimination.

He stressed that elections are "a democratic occasion to hold accountable all those who have caused corruption, have disrupted institutions, and destroyed the state."

"Beware of resorting to disrupting the parliamentary and presidential elections for suspicious private goals,” Rai warned.

He added that disrupting the government, causing political and media escalation, provoking and using the judiciary to undermine opponents, "is not reassuring neither to the Lebanese nor to Lebanon’s friends."

“Using these pretexts tor postpone or cancel the elections would be a clear violation of the Constitution,” Rai added.

Th Patriarch emphasized the priority for Cabinet to convene, adding that there was no excuse to disrupt or to fail to call for a session.

He regretted that the Cabinet is only convening “in a conditional session,” and hoped this will pave the way for “continued unconditional sessions.”

“In a democratic system, the executive authority operates according to its powers in the constitution, without any pressure or conditions imposed on it,” Rai said.