Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir stressed that a two-thirds quorum is needed to elect a new president for Lebanon and warned against boycotting the electoral session of September 25, 2007 "Presidential elections must take place Â… No one can boycott a nation," Sfeir said in remarks published by the daily An Nahar on Tuesday. "At the end, national sentiments should overcome the feelings of animosity," he added.Sfeir emphasized that he did not and will not name a presidential candidate, reiterating that the new head of state should be at an equal distance from all political players. "He (next president) should have a clean hand and a white heart and should unite all the people," he said, adding that "Â…It is essential for the next president not to be aligned with any party and to be transparent and trustworthy."
On the issue of the two-third vote, Sfeir said the Constitution was clear in this regard. "The Constitution is clear. The president of the republic should be elected by secret ballot and by a two-thirds quorum of PMs, and if the quorum is not secured, then a president will be elected by a half-plus-one vote," he clarified.
Sfeir also sounded the alarm, describing the situation as "dangerous." "If both sides remain clung to their positions then we will not reach a solution or we could reach disastrous outcomes," he warned.