Lebanese MPs Set For 12th Attempt to Elect A President

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanon’s parliament is set to convene on Wednesday in what will be the 12th attempt since October to find consensus between rival camps and elect a new president.

The country has been without a head of state for more than seven months, and the last bid to elect a president was held on January 19.

The vote for the presidency, reserved for a Maronite Christian under Lebanon's system, pits the Hezbollah-backed Suleiman Franjieh against financial official Jihad Azour, who has mainly been endorsed by Christian and some independent legislators.

With no side appearing to have the numbers to get their candidate across the line, analysts say the vote could further entrench a political stalemate, dimming hopes of saving the economy after three years of meltdown.

Lebanon is facing a double power vacuum, with the country governed by a caretaker cabinet with limited powers for more than a year.

The international community has urged politicians to elect a consensus presidential candidate who can help the country enact reforms required to unlock billions of dollars in loans from abroad.

Franjieh, a former lawmaker and minister, hails from a storied family dynasty, like many of Lebanon's prominent political figures.

On Sunday, he promised to be "the president of all Lebanese."

Azour was finance minister from 2005 to 2008 and has stepped aside from his role as the director of the Middle East and Central Asia department at the International Monetary Fund in view of the presidential contest.