Lebanon fails to elect president again

Beirut, June 2 (IANS) The Lebanese parliament on Thursday failed again during its 40th consecutive session to elect a new president.

Speaker Nabih Berri called for a new session on June 23, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the constitution, the required quorum to elect a president is two-thirds of the 128-seat parliament, and only 40 MPs were present at Thursday's session.

Since May 25, 2014, the parliament has failed to convene to elect a new president after the six-year term of former President Michel Suleiman ended, because of the sharp political division among the main two political camps.

According to the constitution, the cabinet will run the country until the election of a new president who is as stated in the National Pact a Christian Maronite, while the Speaker should be a Muslim Shia and the premier a Muslim Sunni..

But due to the sharp political divisions, the cabinet work has been hindered as all its decisions should be made by unanimity which is absent most of the times.

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