Influential bishops worry over delayed Lebanon election

A group of Christian bishops in Lebanon is concerned that the presidential deadlock in their country has affected national unity.

Lebanon's influential Maronite Christian bishops warned that the country is facing a crisis because the ruling coalition and the opposition are refusing to compromise, according to Voice of America on Friday.

In their statement this week, the bishops said: "The persistence of both sides (the ruling majority and the opposition) to stick to their positions puts the whole country in a critical situation and complete paralysis.

"This not only obstructs the democratic system which characterizes Lebanon, it will lead Lebanon to a disruption it has never faced before," the statement read, according to Catholic News Service.

Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah P. Sfeir noted that "the situation we are going through now is worse than what it was 30 years ago," referring to Lebanon's civil war.

Lebanon postponed its presidential elections for the third times within the past two months on Saturday to give rival factions more time to agree on a candidate, according to The Associated Press.

Parliament speaker Nabih Berri announced Saturday that the presidential elections will be postponed until Nov. 21 "to give more time for consultations to reach agreement on a president," just days before President Emil Lahoud steps down from office on Nov. 24.

Berri, who is part of the Hezbollah-led opposition, and legislator Saad Hariri, leader of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority in Lebanon, issued a joint statement Saturday asking Cardinal Sfeir, head of the influential Maronite Catholic Church, to gather Maronite leaders to help develop a list of names of compromise candidates.

"We strongly support such an initiative so that we can all choose a compromise candidate from that list," said the statement from the legislators.

Under Lebanon's constitution, the president has to be a member of the Maronite Catholic Church.

Christians used to represent about half of Lebanon's population but now they make up about 39 percent, according to the CIA World Factbook. However, they still have as much power as the growing Muslim majority with both groups agreeing that a Maronite should be president to maintain the power sharing.

The election has become a showdown between Iran and Syria, who back the opposition, and the United States and its European Allies, who support the parliamentary majority and Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's government.

Citizens and international leaders all fear that a failed election could lead to a power vacuum or the creation of two rival governments.

The bishops have insisted that elections must take place "on time and in line with the constitution," according to CNS.

"The general situation[that] Lebanon is suffering does not call for tranquility, especially the presidential issue, which the Lebanese wait for with anxiety because of the strong tension between the pro-government [forces] and the opposition," said the Maronite bishops.

"That's why we reiterate with insistence our appeal for unity, so the presidential issue will be held in accordance with the Lebanese Constitution," they said.

The bishops place blame on both parties for the current political deadlock - the ruling majority for monopolizing the vote and the opposition for threatening to boycott the election, according to CNS.

"Finally," the bishops emphasized, "the responsibility [for the presidency] falls upon the parliament. It is a historic responsibility before God, conscience and the country."

"The Lebanese people, in general, are fed up with politicians," the bishops added, according to CNS. People are concerned about "their daily bread, their children's tuition and daily worries because of the dreadful high cost of living, lack of job opportunities and economic paralysis."

Lebanon was relatively calm and prosperous before the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), which left the country's economy and property in ruins. The country has continued to try to recover from the devastation without success as political violence continue to plague the country.