Lebanon Christian leader says Christians cannot be bypassed to bring a president to power

Leading Lebanese Christian politician Gebran Bassil said on Tuesday that no party could circumvent the country's Christians in bringing a president to power, an apparent reference to the powerful armed party Hezbollah on the eve of a parliamentary session to elect a head of state.

Leading Lebanese Christian politician Gebran Bassil said on Tuesday that no party could circumvent the country's Christians in bringing a president to power, an apparent reference to the powerful armed party Hezbollah on the eve of a parliamentary session to elect a head of state. Shiite parties Hezbollah and Amal have backed Christian political figure Suleiman Frangieh, while Bassil's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and other Christian parties and independent lawmakers have backed International Monetary Fund officer and former finance minister Jihad Azour.

The split has prompted accusations that Hezbollah and Amal - referred to sometimes as the Shiite duo - were dictating who should fill the role of the president, reserved for a Maronite Christian under Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system. Bassil, leader of the FPM, said in televised comments on Tuesday, “No one can bypass the Christian component in a critical milestone like the presidency.”

He said Hezbollah and Amal must stop trying to convince FPM lawmakers to not vote for Azour. The parliamentary session on Wednesday is set to be one of the most heated. Hezbollah is expected to torpedo Azour's candidacy.

Deep divides among Lebanese parties have left Lebanon without a president since October, deepening political paralysis in a country already facing one of the world's worst economic crises.