BEIRUT: The Council of Maronite Bishops warned Wednesday that “two opposed parties” were pulling the state in different directions and leading to political paralysis, while urging a policy of “positive neutrality” to help Lebanon avoid negative repercussions amid political upheaval region.

After its monthly meeting in Bkirki, chaired by Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai, the bishops said they appreciated the efforts being made by the political authorities to address “thorny and vital issues,” but said that a tug of war was leading to paralysis and stalling action on matters such as appointments to the state bureaucracy.

A Maronite MP said the bishops’ statement was directed at Christian leaders, and to both President Michel Sleiman and General Michel Aoun, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement.

The warning, the MP said, comes after weeks of mediation efforts led by Rai either personally, or via institutions such as the Maronite League.

But Sleiman and Aoun have remained at odds over the issue of appointing Christians to the civil service – Sleiman believes that he should name certain figures, as the occupant of the country’s highest Christian political post, while Aoun insists that his views should hold sway, as the head of the largest parliamentary bloc of Christian deputies.

A member of the FPM bloc, Baabda MP Alain Aoun, said Wednesday that “whoever shows solidarity with the president on the appointments issue is trying to corner the FPM.”

Aoun argued that in the end, a two-thirds vote in the Cabinet was needed to approve a given appointment, irrespective of other political considerations.

“Grade One appointments are settled by the Cabinet, based on the name put forward by the concerned minister,” Aoun said. “Therefore, even if there are different mechanisms [for proposing names], there should be a political agreement to secure two-thirds’ support.”

Sources familiar with the issue said Sleiman continued to reject the latest offer, namely a “package” of bureaucratic appointments that would see Aoun name five Christians, the president three, and Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh two.

FPM sources blamed the president for keeping the top post in the Higher Judicial Council vacant as a result of the tug of war over appointments at various levels, while other political sources were unable to explain why Prime Minister Najib Mikati has been unable to forge a reconciliation between Sleiman and Aoun.

The conflict over the appointments issue also broke up Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, which convened after the bishops’ statement.

The Maronite bishops said socio-economic policies and other important issues, such as the electricity sector, were being stalled amid the impasse.

The bishops also warned that the regional situation, in a reference to ongoing popular uprisings in a number of Arab countries, was “recreating the era of regional axes and a struggle of international powers,” which could have a negative impact on Lebanon.

The bishops urged the Lebanese to “strengthen their bonds of national unity” and follow a policy of positive neutrality amid the regional developments, open to all countries and representing a place of “cultural and religious dialogue.”

The bishops also mentioned and sales were also mentioned as a continuing source of concern.

“During the last year, the area whose ownership has moved from Lebanese to non-Lebanese has receded ... but the problem of selling land because of financial inducements or pressure continues to worry” the bishops, the statement said.

While making their standard call to people to avoid selling their land, the bishops also called on members of the public “who are able to” to establish development projects around the country to help people “invest in their land” and make a decent living from it.

Land sales, particularly those that see Christians sell property to non-Christians, have been a leading concern for the community’s politicians in the last few years, due to fears of demographic change.