Lebanese Parliament on Wednesday failed for the third week to elect a new President as the session lacked the needed two-thirds quorum.

Lebanese Parliament on Wednesday failed for the third week to elect a new President as the session lacked the needed two-thirds quorum.

Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned the session till Thursday 15 May at 12:00 noon, National News Agency (NNA) reported.

The event comes more than two weeks before the expiry of President Michel Sleiman’s term.
Two sessions had failed to elect a new president with no candidate has been agreed upon yet by the main alliances in the country, March 8 and March 14.

In the first session, in April 19 Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, who was convicted and jailed for committing war crimes during the civil war, was not able to attain the needed two-thirds quorum of the 128-member parliament.

Geagea was only able to garner the votes of 48 MPs. Fifty-two lawmakers from the March 8 alliance gave blank votes and then pulled out of the April 19 session.

Last week, the March 8 MPs boycotted the session, stressing that the sessions are unproductive as long as there is no consensus candidate for the presidency.

Berri also called for a general legislative session on Wednesday 14 May to study the ranks and salary scale file, NNA reported meanwhile.