Hussein Dakroub| The Daily Star

BEIRUT: Prime Minister Tammam Salam appealed Wednesday to the international community for help in electing a president to end a 16-month deadlock that has paralyzed the executive and legislative branches of power in Lebanon by separating the vote from regional conflicts. Salam, in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly’s 70th session, also warned that using Lebanon as a proxy to settle regional conflicts would lead to the destruction of “this bastion of moderation, coexistence and freedom.”

“My call is also to all those who can positively influence the holding of the democratic election of a president in Lebanon,” Salam said, addressing a meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon chaired by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the U.N. headquarters .

“It is time to set aside differences. It is time to talk to friends and foes. It is time to separate this election from all other pending issues in the region. It is time to understand that, using Lebanon as a proxy to settle regional conflicts, will lead to the destruction of this bastion of moderation, of coexistence and of freedom that is needed by all to remain an example, a message, to uphold in the face of extremism and violence,” he said.

His remarks came on the same day Parliament failed in the 29th consecutive session since April last year to elect a president over a lack of quorum, prompting Speaker Nabih Berri to schedule a new session for Oct. 21.

Lebanese leaders have said that an improvement in strained ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which back opposing sides in Lebanon, is essential for facilitating the election of a successor to former President Michel Sleiman, whose six-year tenure ended on May 25, 2014.

Addressing delegates of the ISGL set up in 2013 to help Lebanon cope with the Syrian refugee crisis, Salam said the Lebanese Army had faced “dangerous challenges battling extremist fighters” entrenched on the outskirts of Lebanon’s northeastern border with Syria.

“Thanks to the support of some of the countries represented here, we have been able to upgrade defensive capabilities to preserve the integrity of our territory. But, then again, what new trying assaults will the Army have to fend off if the situation in Syria deteriorates?” he said.

“My call, with gratitude, is to all those who have helped the Army, to continue their indispensable backing without waning,” Salam said. “My call is to all those who can help, to stand on our side, for the time to fight extremism has come and we are on the frontline of this battle.”

“Decisions and actions that you will adopt this time are more crucial than ever before in view of the escalating threats to Lebanon.”

Salam warned that two months of anti-government street protests sparked by the ongoing garbage crisis were taking a heavy toll on the country’s struggling economy.

“Motivated by a just cause that we cannot address for lack of a political agreement, the country has now been agitated, for over a month, by daily protests,” he said. “Security forces have succeeded so far, in protecting the rights of citizens to demonstrate, and in avoiding unnecessary severity in maintaining order. But there is no telling to where this may lead us, on the backdrop of a rapidly deteriorating economic situation.” Salam, who has held talks with foreign and Arab officials during his one-week visit to New York, met Wednesday with Ban before attending the ISGL meeting and delivering Lebanon’s speech at the U.N. General Assembly.

Salam called on the international community to maintain stability in Lebanon by distancing the country from regional polarization. He also renewed his appeal to donor countries to fulfill their commitments to help Lebanon cope with the presence of 1.5 million Syrian refugees on its territories.

“Mr. President, we consider that safeguarding the Lebanese entity is tantamount to shielding a vital remnant of pluralism in the Levant,” he said. “Hence, consolidating stability in the country, with its political, security and socio-economic dimensions, calls for a joint decision from both brethren and friends, to keep Lebanon away from regional polarization, help the Lebanese people in putting an end to the current vacuum and paralysis and bolstering the work of constitutional institutions, by electing a new president without further delay.”

Salam lamented the declining international aid to alleviate the Syrian refugee crisis. “In Lebanon, the public infrastructure and hosting communities have been exhausted to the max at a time of steadily declining international assistance because of a soi-disant “donors’ fatigue,” he said.

“While upholding its international obligations, Lebanon reiterates the appeal to donor countries urging them to fulfill their commitments, rather to increase their financial contributions, providing direct assistance to the public institutions and the Lebanese hosting communities, according to the Response Plan launched by Lebanon last December in collaboration with the U.N.”

Salam called on Syria’s neighboring countries and the world to tackle the Syrian tragedy by fostering a political solution that “safeguards the country’s unity, independence and territorial integrity, while fulfilling the Syrian people’s aspirations for a free and dignified life.”

For his part, Ban said: “I encourage bilateral partners to expedite support where the Lebanese Armed Forces need it most so they can effectively address security threats.” A statement issued following the ISGL’s ministerial-level meeting urged member states in a position to do so to “offer additional assistance where the LAF and the security forces are most critically in need on an expedited and coordinated basis.”

Recognizing the increased terrorist threat to Lebanese civilians, the Group reiterated the need for a comprehensive counter-terrorism response, including via further international support to Lebanese security services.