Maronite bishops: the Lebanese are powerless to choose their president
The country's political class under Syria's thumb forgets the needs of the population. Solidarity with the Church in Iraq.
Beirut (AsiaNews) After years of social and existential strife, "the Lebanese people have no longer any say in their own presidential election", this according to an official statement issued by the Council of Maronite Bishops and published Thursday by the national newspaper An Nahar.
The Council, led by Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, met last Wednesday. In its statement, it deplores the fact that "the upcoming presidential election appears to be of the highest concern to politicians, while most Lebanese people are reeling under the heavy weight of socioeconomic problems in the absence of any official interest to resolve them."
Lebanese politicians seem more concerned about whether to renew outgoing president Émile Lahud's mandate or elect someone else. Whoever he may be, the new head of state must be approved by Lebanon's neighbour Syria, which still occupies its territory and controls its internal politics.
Meeting in Diman, northern Lebanon, the bishops pointed to the vast gap between the political class and the population. "Problems," their statement said, "have become quite well known to all, and include the lack of work opportunities, high taxes, rampant corruption in public institutions like electricity and mobile phone companies, waste of public funds and chaos in government departments, not to mention the public debt for which no solution is in sight."
The Council of Bishops added that "it has become common knowledge that the Lebanese people have no longer any say in the presidential election and many see that as normal. This is an indication of the absence of any feeling of national pride and the marginalization of the will of the people."
The statement also condemned the attacks against five churches in Iraq last week, which claimed the lives of 11 worshippers and wounded 50 others. According to the bishops, "what happened in Iraq shows that there is a determined effort to harm the country. We express our deepest regret and sorrow over the massacres and crimes taking place in that brotherly country and ask God Almighty to put an end to such tragedies for the sake of the people." (DS)
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