The International Support Group (ISG) regretted on Friday that Lebanon has once again failed to elect a new president, warning that the deadlock is “exacerbating the erosion of state institutions.”
On Wednesday, neither Jihad Azour nor Sleiman Franjieh came close to winning the 86 votes needed to win in a first round vote at the Lebanese parliament.
Azour won the support of 59 of 128 lawmakers. Franjieh secured 51.
The session — the twelfth try to pick a president — broke down after the bloc led by Hezbollah withdrew following the first round of voting, breaking the quorum in the 128-member house. All lawmakers attended the session.
“After eight months with neither a president nor a fully functioning government, the ISG is deeply concerned that the current political stalemate is exacerbating the erosion of state institutions and undermining Lebanon’s ability to address the country’s pressing socioeconomic, financial, security and humanitarian challenges,” it said in a statement.
The ISG urged Lebanon’s politicians and lawmakers “to assume their responsibilities and prioritize the national interest by electing a new president without further delay.”
It warned that any continuation of the unsustainable situation will only further prolong and complicate Lebanon’s financial recovery.
The ISG also urged the authorities to expedite the adoption and implementation of a comprehensive and inclusive reform agenda to resolve the country’s crisis.
