The head of Maronite church Behara Raï (in the center) during a mass celebrated on January 1, 2024. (Credit:NNA)
Bechara al-Rai, the leader of the Maronite Church in Lebanon, has publicly criticized those who suggest that electing a head of state in Lebanon should be based on the cessation of hostilities in Gaza. It comes as the country marks its fifteenth month without a president, with Lebanese parliamentarians failing to elect a successor to Michel Aoun due to a lack of consensus on a candidate.
"We have recently heard some condition the election of a president to a total ceasefire in Gaza... This is deplorable and completely unacceptable", Rai said in his New Year's Day sermon. He added that "it is the duty of a self-respecting Parliament to convene and elect a head of state." He vouched for the quality of the candidates, saying, "the candidates are known and excellent."
Echoing Patriarch Rai's concerns, the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut, Elias Audi, also criticized the absence of leadership in the state. Recalling the Lebanese Parliament's successful extension of Army Chief Joseph Aoun's mandate to uphold the stability and security of the military institution, Audi questioned: "Why does this same Parliament not convene to elect a president to preserve the country's stability?" He hinted at a lack of political will as the cause.
The political impasse continues as Hezbollah and the Amal movement back the candidacy of Marada leader Sleiman Frangié, a choice that traditional parties and the opposition reject. The majority of Christian parties are rallying behind former Finance Minister, Jihad Azour, who they agreed to support last June against Frangié, while remaining open to a "third path." While the opposition leans towards a compromise figure, they might not count on the sporadic allyship of Free Patriotic Movement leader, Gebran Bassil, who opposes electing the Army Commander—a figure increasingly seen as capable of embodying this "third path."