Lebanese parliament postpones vote on new president

Beirut, Oct 13 (EFE).- Lebanon’s parliament on Thursday postponed the vote to elect a new head of state to October 20, less than two weeks before incumbent president Michel Aoun’s six-year term ends.

Parliament speaker Nabih Berri delayed the session minutes after the scheduled start time due to a lack of quorum.

Thursday’s session was the parliament’s second attempt to elect a new president. On September 29, lawmakers at the 128-member legislature failed to secure a political consensus on a candidate.

Half of them cast blank ballots, while 36 others voted for Michel Moawad, the son of former president Rene Moawad.

For a presidential candidate to be successful, he needs the votes of at least two-thirds of the lawmakers.

Aoun, whose mandate ends on October 31, has reiterated that he would not extend his position as the president of crisis-hit Lebanon, which has been governed by a caretaker government headed by prime minister Najib Mikati since June.EFE

fa-njd/smq/mp