Al-Rahi Lauds Geagea-Aoun Talks, Says Vatican Pushing for Election of President
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi revealed Thursday that the Vatican is exerting major efforts to end the presidential vacuum in Lebanon, as he hailed the recent rapprochement between Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.
“The Vatican spares no chance or effort with all countries for the sake of the election of a new president in Lebanon,” al-Rahi said at Beirut's airport upon his return from Rome.
Media reports said in recent days that the patriarch's return will give a new impetus to talks on the presidential crisis, noting that he will try to launch a dynamism that may take the form of a broad Christian meeting or an invitation for the four Maronite leaders to meet once again in Bkirki.
The presidential seat, the country's top Christian post, has been vacant since Michel Suleiman's term ended on May 25, 2014. Parliament failed to secure the needed quorum to elect a new president despite having held 19 sessions to that end, with the Aoun-Geagea electoral rivalry one of the main reasons.
Asked about the recent rapprochement between the two leaders and the ongoing talks between their two parties, al-Rahi said Aoun and Geagea had always talked to each other in Bkirki since he assumed his post three years ago.
On Wednesday, Geagea wished Aoun a happy birthday, hoping that tensions would be eased between the two sides.
He tweeted: “I hope that we would have reached a complete political agreement before your birthday next year.”
Aoun in turn thanked Geagea for the wishes, hoping their "agreement" will be achieved "by the end of Lent."
Y.R.
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