BEIRUT (REUTERS) - A decision by Lebanon's leading Sunni Muslim politician to step back from politics and boycott a parliamentary election in May must not be used as an excuse to call for a delay, the Maronite Christian patriarch said on Sunday (Jan 30).
Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rai said he was surprised by three time-former prime minister Saad al-Hariri's decision and said he hoped the Sunni community would still take part so the election "expresses the position of all Lebanese".
Mr Hariri's decision has turned the electoral landscape on its head, adding to the uncertainties facing a country suffering a devastating financial meltdown.
"Given the importance of this parliamentary (election), we must all confront attempts to circumvent it," Cardinal Rai said, noting the new Parliament would elect President Michel Aoun's replacement.
Referring to Mr Hariri's decision, he said: "It is not allowed for some to invoke the new reality and promote the postponement of the parliamentary elections." He did not say to whom he was referring.
Lebanon's 2018 election produced a majority for the heavily armed, Iran-backed Shi'ite group Hizbollah and its allies, who include Mr Aoun. Its adversaries hope to overturn this in May.
Cardinal Rai is a critic of Hizbollah, saying it has harmed Lebanon by dragging it into regional conflicts.
Hizbollah, designated a terrorist group by Washington, is part of an Iran-led alliance vying for regional influence with US-allied Gulf Arab states.
While none of Lebanon's main parties have called for an election delay, many observers believe this may well suit a number of influential players, though not adversaries of Hizbollah, such as the Christian Lebanese Forces party.
Western states want the vote to go ahead on time.
Mr Hariri will leave a fractured Sunni community in his wake.
Last Friday, his older brother Bahaa signalled he is entering politics. He said he would "continue the journey" of his father Rafik al-Hariri. Bahaa plans to support candidates but will not be running himself.
