Lebanon cancels independence day celebrations

Lebanon cancelled on Friday all official celebrations to mark its independence day, due to the current vacancy of presidency, the National News Agency reported.
Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam issued a circulation on Friday to cancel all official events to celebrate the country's independence, which was achieved on Nov. 22, 1943, from French mandate, as the country has remained without a president for nearly six months.
Since President Michel Suleiman's tenure ended on May 25, the parliament has failed for 15 consecutive times to elect a new president due to a sharp division among political parties.
The latest parliament voting was on Wednesday, when merely 56 MPs out of the 128-seat parliament were present, far less than the required constitutional two-thirds quorum, which pushed Speaker Nabih Berri to call for a new session on Dec. 10.
According to the constitution, Prime Minister Tammam Salam's government is in charge of the president's office until a new president is elected.
It's not the first time that Lebanon's presidency has turned vacuum. In 1988, after President Amine Gemayel's tenure ended, the country remained without a president until 1989. Again in 2007 after the extended term of President Emile Lahoud ended, the post remained vacant until May 25, 2008, when President Suleiman was elected.