The mandate of Mr Suleiman expires Saturday at midnight. Despite five convocations past two months to choose a new president , Parliament failed to do so due to lack of quorum or majority required.
Lebanon will be without a president , a scenario that the country experienced in 1988, civil war , and in 2007. Government will assume executive powers until the election of a new president by Parliament, which remains in session opened.
Political paralysis is due to a significant split between the two main camps : the so-called March 14 hostile to the Syrian regime and armed Shiite movement Hezbollah and said that March 8 led by Hezbollah. The first is supported by Washington and Riyadh and the second by Damascus and Tehran.
In a farewell speech before leaving the presidential palace near Beirut, in the presence of MPs, ministers and diplomats Suleiman called ' parliament to elect a president without further delay , otherwise it will assume the responsibility of the dangers of vacancy in the office .
According to him, ' this post is the symbol of the unity of the country ' and the absence of a president is a threat ', especially if it is empty intentional .
In this multi-confessional country where parity is required between Christians and Muslims in Parliament, the president is a Maronite Christian tradition , which is unique in the Arab world. But he has no real powers.
- Encore months ' -
The camp March '14 ' supports Samir Geagea and accuses his opponents sessions have boycotted Parliament to prevent the quorum for the election is reached.
Opposite, Michel Aoun , the candidate of the camp '8 March ', trying in vain to get a consensus around his candidacy.
The two camps are divided primarily on issues of Hezbollah's arsenal and its involvement in the Syrian war, but none has an absolute majority in Parliament.
In this fragile country , the choice of President has almost always been dictated by foreign powers , especially Syria , tutelary power for 30 years until the withdrawal of its troops from Lebanon in 2005.
Despite the conflict that ravaged the country for three years, the Syrian regime still has a say in Lebanon through its allies, chief among them Hezbollah , which fought the rebels at his side.
For Ghassan Azzeh , professor of political science at the Lebanese University , the election will not take place before ' months ' and the inability of the Lebanese to elect a president ' proves once again that they can not manage their affairs by themselves .
For him, a " Saudi- Iranian agreement with the sponsoring U.S. is now necessary for the election .
- Nasrallah Speech -
' The vacuum has become a reality ', written Saturday newspaper As -Safir close to Hezbollah . ' Palace (Presidential ) drowning him in the Republic Presidential empty ' , the daily An- Nahar .
For MP Antoine Zahra, the Lebanese Forces party to Geagea ' the best solution for Hezbollah is either a presidential vacuum or a president subject to his will .
The Secretary General of Hezbollah , Hassan Nasrallah , must speak Sunday on the occasion of 14 anniversary of the Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Suleiman , including Hezbollah boycotted the ceremonial start , once again called this movement to withdraw from Syria and reiterated that only the army should be no weapons in the country.
"Our unity is our priority. It tells us not to intervene in the affairs of our neighbor as much as we loved , and we remove everything that is likely to divide our ranks , ' he has said.
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