Lebanese Prez denies claims about delaying parliamentary polls

Beirut: Lebanese President Michel Aoun has denied claims about a possible delay in parliamentary elections following former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s decision to step away from politics.

“We are carrying out all the necessary preparations for holding the elections on time, and I do not see any reason for delaying them,” Aoun said after meeting with Lebanon’s senior Sunni cleric Grand Mufti Abdul Latif Derian.

Hariri announced on January 24 that he would suspend his involvement in the political scene, and would not run in the upcoming parliamentary elections, reports Xinhua news agency.

Over the past few days, several reports circulated about a possible boycott by the Sunni sect in Lebanon for the 2022 parliamentary elections, which would force a delay in voting.

Aoun, the Maronite Christian President, emphasised the role played by the Sunni community in preserving Lebanon’s unity and political diversity and called for the participation of all components of Lebanon in national and political life.

The international community has, on many occasions, called for timely parliamentary elections in the hope to see change and reform taking place in Lebanon.