ASIA/LEBANON - Meeting between representatives of Hezbollah and the Maronite Church on the election of the President

Beirut (Agenzia Fides) - A meeting of dialogue to address the crux of the non-election of the President of the Lebanese Republic brought together on Tuesday, March 3 representatives of the Maronite Patriarchate and the Shiite party of Hezbollah. The meeting took place in the southern suburbs of Beirut, and involved Bishop Samir Mazloum and former leader of the Maronite League, Hareth Shehab, and Mahmoud al-Qmati and Mustafa al Hajj Ali.
During the talks - report Lebanese sources - the negative effects that the non-election of the President is having on all the institutional activity of the country were analyzed. Lebanon has formally been without a President since 25 May 2014. In the delicate Lebanese institutional system, the Head of State is reserved to a Maronite Christian, but the Maronite political leaders present in the two political blocks that dominate the Country's political life – starting from Michel Aoun and Samir Geagea – do not agree on a name.
The next parliamentary session is set for March 11. But all observers already foresee that that session will not take effect due to the lack of a quorum. Sources close to the Maronite Patriarchate, contacted by Agenzia Fides, trusts in the possibility that the issue of the Lebanese presidential election may reach a solution due to the "side effect" of the agreement on nuclear energy that Iran is preparing to sign with the group of "5 + 1" (Russia, China, France, Great Britain, USA + Germany). (GV) (Agenzia Fides 05/03/2015)