Minister launches presidential race, Hariri: Unanimity of Lebanese required
Lebanon, Politics, 3/10/1998

Interior Minister Michel Murr on Monday officially launched the battle for presidential elections by hinting at the possibility of extending President Elias Hrawi's term.

Murr, who is also deputy prime minister, said officials would soon study the possibility of amending the constitution to allow an extension of Hrawi's term, which ends November this year.

The Lebanese constitution forbids the extension of a president's term, which is six years. However, a one-time extension for Hrawi was approved three years ago, for half a term.

Although Hrawi has repeatedly expressed his wish to step down when his term expires, another extension is still widely believed to be an option.

There are no official nominees for the upcoming elections. The only other candidate is Army Commander Gen. Emile Lahoud, but his election also requires amending the constitution, which prohibits the election of a civil servant or army officer, unless they resign two years ahead of the elections.

Murr said after a meeting with President Hrawi yesterday that he supported a two-way amendment of the constitution, which would allow both Hrawi and Lahoud to run for the elections.

According to Lebanon's sectarian political system, the president must be a Maronite Christian. The prime minister is always a Sunni Muslim and the House speaker a Shiite.

Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was quoted in An-Nahar on March 7 as saying that he is "adamant that the Lebanese people unanimously agree on the new president." Hariri made these comments after a marathon meeting with Maronite Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir.

Previous Stories:
  No Cabinet reshuffle, Hariri says   (1/21/1998)
  Municipal elections to be held in spring   (1/5/1998)
  Murr: no early presidential elections   (10/24/1997)

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