Head of FPM Gebran Bassil. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — A Wednesday statement by Catholic and Orthodox bishops urging Christian MPs to meet over Lebanon's presidential deadlock "opens the door" to a resolution, Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil tweeted Thursday.
Traditionally, the president is elected from the country's Christian Maronite community.
Bassil tweeted: "What was said by the head of the Christian sects in Bkirki [the seat of the Maronite patriarchate] draws a promising path and opens the door for solutions to the presidential crisis in accordance with national balance."
Lebanon has been without a president since Michel Aoun left office on Oct. 31.
Catholic and Orthodox bishops met on Wednesday with Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai in Bkirki, where they asked him to convene key members of Lebanon's Christian political parties to break the presidential deadlock.
Last week, Rai received Hezbollah's Christian allies, Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil and Marada Movement leader Sleiman Frangieh, both of whom are considered serious presidential candidates.
Both the Amal Movement and Hezbollah have shown a willingness to support Frangieh's candidacy.
This support is contingent on Frangieh's ability to garner a majority of 65 votes in Parliament without support from the country's two largest Christian parties: Bassil's FPM and Samir Geagea's Lebanese Forces.
Until now, neither Geagea nor Frangieh have commented on the bishops' statement.
Lebanon's Parliament has so far convened 11 times without success to elect a president. Since the last session on Jan.12, no new meeting has been scheduled by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.