Lebanon: presidential elections, Berri calls new voting session

(ANSAMed) - BEIRUT, OCTOBER 03 - The president of the Lebanese parliament Nabih Berri will convene a new parliamentary session before the middle of the month for the election of the President of the Republic.

This was reported by the Lebanese daily an Nahar, which Berri himself claims.

    The term of office of the outgoing head of state, Michel Aoun, expires on 31 October.

International and internal pressures are pushing for an institutional vacuum not to occur in a country that has been in economic collapse for three years and struggling with a prolonged crisis of politics with growing social tension.

    Last week, the first parliamentary voting session ended with nothing.

The various political-confessional parties still appear to be far from having reached a consensus on the name to be nominated.

    For the election of the head of state, who by convention (but not by Constitution) must be a Maronite Christian, a qualified majority of two thirds of the deputies is needed for the first round (86 out of 128 total).

From the next round, a simple majority of 65 votes will suffice.

(ANSAMed).