By DPA
Beirut : The heated race between Lebanon’s political factions to agree on a common candidate for the upcoming presidential election is raising tensions yet further in a country already stymied by a 10-month-old political impasse.
Christian politicians from the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority in the Lebanese parliament have announced the “necessity of organizing the presidential election on the date set for by the constitution” – between Sep 25 and Nov 24.
Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri has called on Lebanon’s 126 MPs to meet Sep 25 for a first round of voting to elect a successor to current pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, whose term, extended at the behest of Damascus in 2004, expires in November.
According to the constitution a presidential election has to take place within two months of the deadline that is from September until November.
Berri, who is currently playing a major role in finding a compromise presidential candidate, has given assurances that the presidential elections will be held on a consensus basis and according to the constitutional schedule.
But the pro-Syrian opposition, to which Berri belongs, is threatening to block the election of a new president unless it approves the candidate.
Despite the fact that the anti-Syrian majority controls enough seats in parliament to elect a president, it still needs the opposition to make up the two-thirds quorum which parliament traditionally needs to convene.
In Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system, the country’s president has always been from the largest Christian sect, the Maronites, the premier from the Sunni Muslim community and the parliamentary speaker from the Shia Muslim community. A president is elected every six years in Lebanon.
The country’s political factions are currently divided between supporters of the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Seniora, which represents the anti-Syrian majority in parliament, and the opposition, which is headed by the pro-Syrian Hezbollah movement.
The pro-Syrian opposition has made it clear that they will not allow the new president to be allied to the US.
“We will not allow the new president of Lebanon to be part of the American National Security as is the case with the unconstitutional government,” said Sheikh Nabil Kawook, Hezbollah’s spokesman in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah politburo member Mahmoud Qomati warned Seniora that the Lebanese would soon lose their patience “because you are depriving them from their rights”.
Observers however regard it as unlikely that the September deadline will be met and a compromise reached.
“If the Lebanese parliament fails to reach a compromise within two months, a constitutional amendment would be needed to allow army chief Brigadier General Michel Sleiman”, to run for president, said political analyst Chafik Masri.
Under the constitution, top state employees can only run if they stand down at least six months before the elections are held.
During the three decades of Syrian influence on Lebanon’s political arena, before the Feb 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri, which was widely blamed on Damascus, three amendments were passed.
The first was in 1995 and extended late president Elias Hrawi’s term by three years. Current President Lahoud, who was also army chief at the time, needed an amendment to be elected in 1998 and finally his term was also extended under Syrian pressure in 2004.
The race to be the next president has already started with the announcement of several possible candidates from within the pro-Western government, including MPs Boutros Harb and Robert Ghanem as well as former parliamentarian Nassib Lahoud.
So far however General Michel Aoun is the sole opposition figure to officially announce his candidacy.
Echoing the thoughts of many Lebanese, one high-ranking security source speaking on condition of anonymity said that until the deadline is reached, Lebanon would likely be subjected to yet more heated political debate and possibly even violence.