BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese MPs failed to read the President of the Republic on Thursday, called to succeed Michel Aoun at the end of his mandate on 31 October.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he would only organize a new vote when a consensus candidate had emerged.
The majority of the votes cast Thursday were white (63), while Michel Moawad, a Maronite Christian like Michel Aoun, in accordance with the power-sharing agreement between communities in Lebanon, collected 36 votes out of a total of 122 deputies present.
If the pro-Iranian Shiite Hezbollah and its allies, including Michel Aoun, do not get along with their Sunni and Christian political adversaries, the post of head of state could remain vacant from November 1, as is expected. has been produced several times since the end of the civil war in 1990.
In this perspective, the negotiations aimed at allowing the formation of a new government led by Sunni Prime Minister Najib Mikati – who currently holds this position on an interim basis – have accelerated.
(Report by Timour Azhari and Laila Bassam, written by Tom Perry, French version Tangi Salan, said by Kate Entringer)