Beirut: Pope Francis has urged politicians in the beleaguered nation of Lebanon to "set aside personal interests" and reach a consensus to fill the presidency, which is currently vacant.
During a press conference on his way home from a trip to Bahrain, the pontiff urged Lebanese politicians to set aside their personal agenda and consider the country as a whole.
As Michel Aoun's term as president ended earlier in the week without a replacement, Lebanon, already beset by political and economic crises, is still without a president.
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Currently run by a caretaker administration, Lebanon has been unable to implement the significant changes needed to receive billions of dollars from foreign lenders to support the recovery of a free economy since the end of 2019.
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The President is elected by the vote of the Parliament of Lebanon. However, despite four voting rounds held by Parliament since September, no candidate was able to garner enough support to succeed Aun.
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Francis said, "I don't want to call Lebanon 'save' because we are not saviors. But please help Lebanon survive this difficult situation. Let Lebanon go back to its former glory," he urged. According to reports, Lebanon has been facing one of the worst economic crises in recent memory for the past three years.
In the black market, the Lebanese pound has lost more than 95% of its value against the dollar since 2019, and most of the population now lives in poverty.