The Cabinet must be allowed to handle the country’s affairs in the case of a presidential vacuum, MP Michel Musa, of Speaker Nabih Berri's Development and Liberation bloc, said.
“The Cabinet would handle the country’s affairs in the coming stage, and no one should obstruct the work of the government especially as we have important and urgent files to address,” Musa told the Voice of Lebanon radio station.
The Amal MP said the country was likely to fall into a vacuum but added that efforts should focus on electing a new president as soon as possible.
“It seems that we are heading toward a vacuum in the presidency post,” he said. “Efforts should focus every day on reaching a consensus over a new president."
For his part, MP Atef Majdalani said that the expected void in the presidential post should not turn into a total vacuum.
“It would be wise not to transform void into vacuum because this would have negative repercussions on the Lebanese entity and system,” he said.
Majdalani said the Future bloc was discussing how to address the post-vacuum phase and would announce a clear stance early next week.
A presidential void looks almost certain, with all efforts to elect a successor to President Michel Sleiman unsuccessful and his term ending Sunday.
The fate of legislative activity is also at risk, with the majority of March 14 lawmakers saying that any legislative activity in Parliament is illegitimate while there is a vacuum in the presidency.
