Lebanon's presidential stalemate
The deadlock in the politicking over Lebanon's next president has a familiar feel.
The Lebanese parliament convened on April 23 to elect a president. The voting was carried out correctly and, as expected, there wasn't a winner. The results of today's session surprised no one.
The March 14 coalition's declared candidate, Samir Geagea, obtained 48 votes from the 124 members of parliament (MPs) present. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt's bloc, which split from March 14 and has positioned itself in the center, obtained 16 votes. The first thing worth noting is that, had Jumblatt not split and had former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the head of his bloc Okab Sakr (both of whom are outside of Lebanon) attended, March 14 could have obtained 66 votes. This is more than the absolute majority needed to elect a president in the second round of voting.
As for the MPs from the March 8 coalition, they submitted blank ballots. As soon as the first round of voting ended, March 8 MPs left the hall in an attempt to prevent a quorum for a second round of voting. Yet, the curtain came down on the theater, and the prospect of a vacuum seems likely again.
The Taif Accord didn’t change but rather consecrated the habit of the main political blocs agreeing upon the next president before the voting session. The parliamentary vote is just a formality since an understanding has already been reached by the political blocs that speak for their sects.
