Lebanese PM Najib Mikati urges parliament to elect new president in time

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called for the election of a new President for Lebanon within the constitutional time frame before President Michel Aoun's tenure ends on October 31, a statement by the Council of Ministers reported.

"I hope that the parliament succeeds in electing a new President for the country within the constitutional time frame because the challenges facing Lebanon require a strong cooperation among constitutional institutions," Mikati said on Tuesday at a Beirut forum to discuss difficulties facing Lebanon's youth.

As President Aoun's six-year tenure is about to end, Lebanese politicians have voiced their concerns about no successor being found, warning of greater institutional deadlock in the absence of a new President, Xinhua news agency reported.

Lebanon has previously witnessed several periods of presidential vacancy due to political differences among the different parties governing the country. The current situation raises concerns in the country about the possibility of the post being left vacant again while the country grapples with a steep financial crisis.

--IANS

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