Lebanon’s Christian parties object to Hezbollah-backed candidate for president

By Idiris Okuduci

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) – Christian parties in Lebanon raised objections on Wednesday against Hezbollah-backed presidential candidate Sleiman Frangieh.

“We don’t accept blackmailing or threats,” Samy Gemayel, leader of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, told a press conference in the capital Beirut.

He said their opposition to Frangieh’s candidacy aims to serve the interests of the Lebanese people and was not related to France or Saudi Arabia.

MP and presidential candidate Michel Mouawad, for his part, said threats will not cause them to change their position, alluding to Hezbollah group and allied Amal Movement.

Last month, Hezbollah backed Frangieh to be the country’s next president after the mandate of Michel Aoun expired last October.

Lawmakers have held 11 rounds of voting to name a successor to Aoun, but no candidate has garnered enough ballots.

A candidate needs two-thirds of the vote, or 86 lawmakers, to make it through the first stage. An absolute majority is needed in subsequent rounds.

Since 2019, Lebanon has been facing a crippling economic crisis that, according to the World Bank, is one of the worst the world has seen in modern times.

The country has been without a fully functioning government since May, with Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Cabinet having limited powers in their current caretaker status.