Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Ra'i confirmed that both residing and diaspora Lebanese, as well as other nations that love Lebanon, are looking forward to next Wednesday, June 14, the day when deputies will enter their council to elect a president for the republic after an eight-month vacancy in the presidency. He added during Sunday Mass, "The people are waiting for the election of a president, while official discussions unfortunately revolve around disrupting the quorum, which cancels democratic movement, increases division in the country, and leads the state into deeper crises."
Al-Ra'i stated, "Our efforts at the patriarchate with all parties aim to extract the spirit of challenge and animosity and the imposition of others. We are keen to ensure that the presidential entitlement remains a station in the course of the democratic process, marked by the spirit of national reconciliation and brotherhood, which guarantees the unity of Lebanon with all its citizens, regardless of their electoral choices, which is a natural matter."
He concluded his sermon by saying, "What reinforces this commitment is that all political parties and candidates for the presidency adopt the language of consensus and dialogue, away from all forms of challenges and factional or sectarian divisions. We ask social media platforms to respect the truth and not to stir the fire of discord with lies, and to avoid taking words out of context."
