ASIA/LEBANON - The Maronite Patriarch: the deadlock on the election of the President is caused by outside interference

Diman (Agenzia Fides) - The political and institutional deadlock that has prevented to elect a new President of the Republic of Lebanon for nearly 14 months seems to be a problem of "internal politics", but in reality it is a matter of "foreign policy". In fact, it is influenced by local and regional conflicts, starting with the Syrian conflict, and are reflected in the conflicts between entities and Sunni and Shiite States, respectively led by Saudi Arabia and Iran. This is the scenario outlined by Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai during a meeting with representatives of the Maronite League in Australia, held Wednesday, July 8 at the patriarchal summer residence in Diman. The mistake of opposing Lebanese political blocs - for the Primate of the Maronite Church - concerns the fact of being influenced by ties of dependence that each group maintains with the players involved in the overall repositioning of the axes of regional strength. While one can get out of the institutional and political crisis only by putting general interest above personal or group interests.
The delicate Lebanese institutional system reserves the post of President of the Republic to a Christian Maronite. Christian politicians are unable to find a common candidate on which to converge their consent. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 09/07/2015)