Lebanon’s parliament failed again to elect a new president on Monday, just one week ahead of the end of the term for outgoing President Michel Aoun, local media reported.
House Speaker Nabih Berri announced that the voting session, attended by 114 deputies out of 128, resulted in 39 votes for Michel Mouawad, 10 votes for Issam Khalife, 50 blank votes, and some scattered votes with political slogans.
This is the fourth time that the Lebanese parliament failed to elect a president.
The previous three elections were held on Sept. 29, Oct. 13, and Oct. 20.
The failure of political parties to reach a consensus on a future president raised concerns of a presidential vacuum as the country continues to suffer from a steep financial crisis.
Over the past years, Lebanon has witnessed several periods of presidential vacuum as a result of divisions among political blocs governing the country.
Berri said he will call for another parliamentary session for the election of a president but did not specify the date. (Xinhua/NAN)
