Maronite bishops on Wednesday called on MPs to elect a president who would fill the executive vacuum as soon as possible, and held Parliament "responsible for the collapse."

They also insisted on the continuation of the Aug. 4, 2020 port blast investigation and urged politicians to "keep this issue away from political tensions."

"We call for a parliamentary session to elect a head of state, especially since we are on the verge of a total collapse. The MPs are responsible for this collapse, knowing that they continue to delay the election of a president," the bishops said in a statement issued after their monthly meeting with Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara al-Rai in Bkirki.

The country has been without a head of state since the end of Michel Aoun's mandate on Oct. 31, 2022. Parliament has still not succeeded in electing a new president, due to the lack of consensus between the main political parties.

Tensions increased over the port blast probe in recent days following a decision by Lebanon's top prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat to release all the detainees in the case and charge lead investigative judge Tarek Bitar, who himself had charged Oueidat.

"We have followed with regret the conflicts within the judiciary that threaten to paralyze the justice system, especially with regard to the explosions at the port," the bishops noted.

"We call on the officials concerned to keep this case away from political tensions and to continue the investigation until the indictment is issued," the statement said.

On Sunday, Patriarch Rai expressed his support for Bitar.

A second meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Bkirki, also under the leadership of Patriarch Rai.

It will bring together Catholic and Orthodox bishops to discuss the presidential vacuum.