Patriarch Sfeir: A president must be elected ahead of the formation of the cabinet

 

Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir reiterated the need to elect a president before the formation of a new cabinet.

 

“The new president must have a say in naming the prime minister through parliamentary consultations,” he told a delegation of bishops headed by Bishop Roland Abu Jaoude.

 

“What is the good of electing a president if every detail has been agreed upon ahead of his election?” Sfeir asked.

 

Sfeir stressed on how important it is for the president to have a say in the appointment of the new prime minister. “Yet it seems that this right is not being respected,” he added.

 

“Some have approved the Arab League initiative, but others voiced reservations. What will be the result of these objections? I don’t know,” Sfeir said.

 

He also said that the Lebanese are tired of the present situation. “They are used to having a president six, four or two months ahead of the end of the presidential mandate. More than a month has passed, and a president has still not been elected,” he said.

 

He also called on journalists and reporters to relay the news in an unbiased fashion.

 

Sfeir also said that he is not siding with any of the political factions. “I am like the head of a family who cannot favor one son over another,” he added.