Lebanese church leaders urge presidential election be held on time

Published: 2007-11-19

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNS) -- Lebanon's Catholic leaders appealed for an end to the political deadlock threatening the election of the country's president. The council of Catholic patriarchs and bishops called upon political leaders and members of parliament to "put an end to their defiant declarations, to their confrontations and to their stubbornness" and instead to "meet with each other through dialogue and understanding and the pursuit of unity and thus fulfill their national duty in electing a new president." The council said, "This president should be up to the challenges that the country is facing and up to the expectations of the Lebanese people." It called for the election to follow the time frame and stipulations of the Lebanese Constitution, which calls for a Maronite Catholic president.

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