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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Presidential election: Nassib Lahoud makes it official

2007-09-14

Former MP Nassib Lahoud made it official today and announced his candidacy for the next President of Lebanon, to replace his cousin the pro-Syrian president Emile Lahoud. In kicking off his presidential campaign, he declared that only the Lebanese army is entitled to bear arms and defend the country. Here are some highlights of his presidential platform. Lahoud called for: Enrolling Hezbollah fighters into and under the command of the Lebanese army insisting that only the army should be the "legitimate armed forces of Lebanon" Training Lebanese army and supplying it with all the equipment needed to properly defend the country . Establishing friendly, but balanced relations with Syria. Lahoud called for mutual respect of sovereignty , independence and freedom between Lebanon and Syria and also called for diplomatic relations and demarcation of the borders between both countries. Lahoud also called for reforms against corruption , improved rights of women, improved standard of education in the public schools, reviving the Labor Unions and political freedom . He expressed his frustration with the current crises and called for ending the current sit- in protest and the closure of the parliament Unlike Emile Lahoud, Nassib lahoud is a leading member of the March 14 alliance. Unlike Emile Lahoud, Nassib lahoud is a leading member of the March 14 alliance. In 2001, he joined the Qornet Shehwan Gathering, regrouping prominent Christian opposition figures under the patronage of Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Franjieh says Syria still influencing security forces in North

2005-07-05

MP Samir Franjieh accused the security and intelligence forces on Saturday of still acting under the direct authority of Syria or its symbols in Lebanon, particularly those in North Lebanon. nIn an interview with the Free Lebanon radio station, Franjieh said the goals set by the Qornet Shehwan Gathering - most notably achieving a consensus with Muslim communities on the eviction of Syrian troops from Lebanon, had been achieved. He denied allegations that "salvation came from abroad," and stressed Qornet Shehwan is a "force of communication, not a force of separation." According to Franjieh, a clandestine Lebanese intelligence group launched campaigns against the Gathering regarding the adoption of the 2000 electoral law. "This same group adopted a policy of intimidation against Christians, the results of which were crystallized in the elections in Christian areas, as if Christian mobilization in Mount Lebanon was aimed at punishing Qornet Shehwan." The MP said people should not be accused of treason without first taking into consideration their past and the threats and pressure they may have endured. He indicated Qornet Shehwan had initiated a dialogue with Hizbullah on March 14 in an effort to avoid sectarian mobilization and to reassure the Shiites that the country cannot be built on a tripartite basis against a fourth confession. The dialogue had also aimed at denouncing UN Security Council Resolution 1559, but also at reaching an agreement on ways to implement it in a way that protects the Lebanese.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Aoun sets sights on North Lebanon seats

2005-06-15

The final make up of Lebanon's Parliament will be determined this weekend, when the last 28 parliamentary seats up for grabs in North Lebanon will be decided. Fresh from his election victory in last week's round of elections, Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, who was exiled from Lebanon after his "War of Liberation" against Syria in 1990, has joined forces with pro-Syrian politician Suleiman Franjieh in the North where they are fielding two complete lists. Aoun will again do battle with Lebanon's anti-Syrian opposition following his failure to reach an agreement to run on their lists last month. The opposition is spearheaded by the Future Movement, led by Saad Hariri, the son of assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and the Christian Qornet Shehwan group. Qornet Shehwan member Samir Franjieh, running for a seat in the North, said: "The electoral battle in North Lebanon is decisive because it will determine the state's agenda for the future." Franjieh also expressed fears that an opposition defeat on Sunday would reinforce the role of Syria in Lebanese politics. Franjieh seems to have switched sides rather neatly...

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Aoun headed for win in Lebanon vote

2005-06-13

Polling stations in Lebanon have closed with initial results showing former general Michel Aoun winning fierce electoral battles against rival anti-Syrian opposition groups in key districts. At stake in the third round of parliamentary elections are 35 seats representing the central Mount Lebanon district and another 23 for the eastern Bekaa Valley. Preliminary results indicate a sweeping victory for electoral tickets backed by Aoun in Mount Lebanon's mainly Christian Kesrwan-Byblos and Upper Metn districts. Aoun, a former general who spent 14 years in exile in France following a failed "war of liberation" against Syrian troops in 1989, returned to Lebanon on 7 May, shortly after Syrian forces withdrew from the country. Counts conducted in 278 of 336 polling stations in Kesrwan-Byblos showed that Aoun maintained a substantial lead over opponent candidates, winning at least 55,000 votes. Opposition alliance candidate Mansour al-Bon, was trailing with 27,000 votes by the latest count. Aoun's list comprises prominent pro-Syrian politicians including Druze leader Talal Erslan in the Baabda-Aley district, former minister Elias Skaff in the Bekaa's Zahle district and former interior minister Suleiman Franjieh, who will be running in the last round of elections in the north next week. A coalition of Christian groups, including the Christian Lebanese Forces, headed by jailed Christian leader Samir Geagea, and Christian Qornet Shehwan Gathering, embraced by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, ran against Aoun's ticket in the Kesrwan-Byblos district. Other members of the coalition included the Phalange Reform Movement, headed by former President Amin Gemayel and the Future Movement, headed by Saad al-Hariri. In the Upper Metn, the list backed by Aoun and pro-Syrian former interior minister Michel Murr also won with only one seat going to an opponent candidate, MP Pierre Gemayel of the Phalange Reform Movement.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanon gets ready for 'free' election

2005-05-28

Lebanon's most eagerly awaited parliamentary election in years kicks off in Beirut tomorrow. The polls, billed as Lebanon's first free elections in more than 30 years, are taking place just one month after the withdrawal of Syrian troops who occupied the country in 1976, shortly after the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war the year before. Tomorrow's ballot, the first in a series of four rounds ending on June 19, looks set to deliver a virtually uncontested victory for the election list of Saad Hariri, son of slain ex-Premier Rafik Hariri, whose assassination last February was the catalyst for uniting Lebanon's disparate political opposition and forcing an end to Syria's presence in the country. Hariri, who took over his father's political mantle following his assassination, has found himself assured of victory in the Beirut district because most of his political rivals decided not to contest the 19 seats available in the area. Hariri has aligned with maverick opposition figure, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, along with other opposition groups, including the Christian Qornet Shehwan and the right wing Christian Lebanese Forces. Despite being assured of victory in Beirut, Hariri urged his supporters to go out and vote. He said: "Don't feel comfortable about expectations. Out of loyalty to Rafik Hariri I urge everyone to go out and vote." But while the fate of Beirut's parliamentary seats looks sealed, a fierce electoral battle in Mount Lebanon, which goes to the polls on June 12, is on the cards. Opposition Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, who returned to Lebanon from a 15 year Syrian imposed exile earlier this month is running independently of the rest of Lebanon's opposition parties. But despite his strong antipathy toward Syria, Aoun has allied himself with pro-Syrian Druze politician Talal Arslan, an arch rival of Jumblatt. Jumblatt launched a scarcely veiled attack on Aoun yesterday accusing him of weakening the opposition by his actions. He said: "I wish the opposition didn't have to fight side-battles, but some factions did not want it to stay united and wanted to take over everything."

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Wally tries to diffuse tension as deadline for electoral law arrives

2005-05-04

Key Lebanese opposition leader Walid Jumblatt met with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir in a bid to diffuse tension within opposition circles on the eve of today's deadline to approve a new electoral law ahead of this month's polls. Speaking after his meeting with the opposition figure, Jumblatt said: "We want an electoral law which satisfies all the members of the opposition, from the Qornet Shehwan Christian gathering to slain Premier Rafik Hariri's bloc to Sfeir." But he added: "We also want an electoral law which reassures the loyalists, meaning Hizbullah and Amal Movement." Jumblatt is at the center of a row between the various opposition factions after giving what appeared to be tacit approval for the election to take place under the aegis of the 2000 electoral law, which many in the opposition believe favors the pro-Syrian loyalist groupings. Jumblatt was also criticised for meeting with leading loyalists Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and former Prime Minister Omar Karami last week in a move that wasn't sanctioned by his opposition colleagues. Jumblatt insisted yesterday he had followed international advice to meet with Berri and Karami in order to reach a compromise on the electoral law to ensure elections took place as scheduled at the end of May. He said: "UN envoy Terje Roed Larsen told me that in order to reach this compromise I should visit both Berri and Karami." If Speaker Nabih Berri doesn't call upon the Parliament to convene today to discuss and approve a new electoral law, the controversial electoral law of 2000 will be used as the basis for Lebanon's May parliamentary elections. According to the country's Constitution, today is the final day Parliament can convene and issue an electoral law if elections are to start on May 29.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Opposition will join Cabinet if Karami quits

2005-03-19

Opposition member MP Butros Harb spoke for the first time about the inclusion of opposition members in a "national unity government," a surprising position which comes after the opposition's insistence that it will only participate in a "neutral government." Harb, a of the Christian opposition Qornet Shehwan Gathering, also warned that the United Nations could impose sanctions on Lebanon if it continues to reject an international committee to investigate former Premier Rafik Hariri's murder. Speaking during a news conference he called for at his office in Beirut, Harb said: "We are willing to participate in a national unity government and even name opposition members for ministerial posts if Prime Minister-designate Omar Karami is replaced." But Harb added that the opposition would maintain its policy of not participating in the parliamentary consultations required to name a candidate for the premiership. He said it was the responsibility of President Emile Lahoud to choose an "honest" prime minister capable of adopting the opposition's demands and securing fair parliamentary elections. Commenting on the ongoing investigation in Hariri's murder, Harb said: "If the UN decides to hire an international committee to investigate Hariri's assassination then it will leave Lebanon with two choices: accepting the decision or facing economic and diplomatic sanctions." Harb added: "I advise the Lebanese government to accept an international investigation under Article 6 of the UN Charter which stipulates that disputes be solved peacefully, avoiding enforceable measures against Lebanon." Harb, a lawyer, corrected Karami that an international committee must not include "Lebanese judges." Karami had agreed that the government allow an international committee to investigate Hariri's assassination as demanded by the opposition, but that it be presided over by a "Lebanese judge." Harb said: "According to the UN Charter, the investigating team should not include non-UN members who can affect the course of investigation."

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Opposition members insist Jumblatt's life threatened

2005-03-17

Opposition members insisted Wednesday that the life of Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt, a leading member of the opposition was in danger. Speaking during a seminar held at the American University of Beirut (AUB), member of the Christian opposition Qornet Shehwan Gathering, Samir Franjieh said: "Yes, Jumblatt's life is threatened. That is why he is in his home in Mukhtara and not here with us today." The seminar, organized by the communications club at AUB, was held on the 29th anniversary of Kamal Jumblatt's assassination, and attended by Wael Abu Faour from Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party and a large number of students. Franjieh said the opposition would not participate in any government until its demands are fully met. "We are calling for the formation of a neutral Cabinet trusted by the people to overlook the upcoming polls, and to oversee a true Syrian pullout. This is the only way to make sure the withdrawal of Syrian troops, and most importantly Syrian intelligence, has taken place completely," he added. Franjieh also lashed out at President Emile Lahoud, saying he was part of the security system that brought the country to the crisis it is facing today. He said: "Since he was the head of the army, until he became the president, he has been a major partner in the rule of the security apparatus in Lebanon." He added that the opposition would demand Lahoud's resignation only following the election of a new Parliament in the light of free and fair elections. He said: "The reason we are not demanding his resignation right now is that the current Parliament is mostly formed of pro-Syrian MPs and they might choose someone who falls in the same category as Lahoud."

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanese opposition calls for resignation of security chiefs

2005-03-03

Lebanon's political opposition has failed to adopt Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt's call for President Emile Lahoud to step down in its official list of demands for approving a transitional government. Instead the group called for the resignation of the country's security chiefs in the wake of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassination and for Syria's President Bashar Assad to withdraw all his country's troops and intelligence agencies from Lebanon immediately. The demand for the "immediate" resignation of Lebanon's public prosecutor and six top security officials to ensure the integrity of the probe into Hariri's assassination, followed a meeting of most of the opposition grouping at Jumblatt's ancestral mansion of Mukhtara, where he has remained in recent days for security purposes. Jumblatt was philosophical about the rejection by his colleagues of his demand that Lahoud should resign. He said: "This statement might not be up to the ambitions of the Lebanese youth. But the unity of the opposition was placed above all." Jumblatt added: "Our demands are moderate, the popular demands downtown are much higher." But speaking later on CNN, the Druze leader said: "The best scenario is for the president to resign and for Parliament to appoint a new president and Cabinet." The refusal to demand Lahoud's resignation is understood to have come about after Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir urged the opposition to work for change within the framework of the country's Constitution. Sfeir, the spiritual patron of the Christian Qornet Shehwan opposition group is understood to feel Lahoud's resignation may lead to unrest in the country.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Opposition demands 'intifada for independence'

2005-02-19

Lebanon's political opposition has called for an "intifada for independence" as it stepped up it attacks on the government. In a significant escalation of its feud with the government in the wake of the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, the opposition added that all parliamentary business is on hold until Hariri's murderers are identified. Speaking from Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt's residence in Clemenceau Qornet Shehwan Gathering member Samir Franjieh said: "In response to the criminal and terrorist policy of the Lebanese and Syrian authorities, the opposition declares a democratic and peaceful intifada [uprising] for independence." He added: "We demand the departure of the illegitimate regime." When asked why the opposition didn't resign from Parliament as many people had expected, Samir Franjieh said: "We will not grant the authorities our resignation. The parliamentary seats are the people's property." Prime Minister Omar Karami responded by calling the opposition's demands "a project to topple the government." Speaking after Friday's Cabinet session, Karami said: "If the Syrian security apparatus leaves Lebanon, it would create chaos." The escalation of the current row comes at the same time as Lebanese Tourism Minister Farid Khazen resigned from the Cabinet, saying the government was not capable of running the country at this crucial period. Khazen said his resignation was due what he called his "personal convictions and my sense of national responsibility." Khazen said there is no substitute for dialogue based on the Taif Accord. He was replaced by Wadih Khazen, who is not an MP. Monday's upcoming parliamentary session looks set for chaos as the opposition insisted it will not discuss the draft electoral law until a full debate is held on Hariri's murder and the attempt on the life, last year of Chouf MP Marwan Hamade and Syrian troops are withdrawn from Lebanon. The refusal to discuss the electoral law could delay this May's parliamentary elections. Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh was dismissive of the opposition but still took time to warn them against inciting tensions in the wake of this week's tragic events. He said: "Should security be tampered with, the government will not stand unmoved, and the army will be given the order to act." But despite the warning he added: "It is not worth announcing a state of emergency."

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Opposition demands total Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon

2005-02-03

Either Wally Jumblatt or Professor Irwin Corey, I'm not sure which... The opposition demanded for the first time Wednesday on a "total withdrawal" of Syrian troops from Lebanon and not a mere redeployment along the borders. "The opposition asks for a compromise with Syria to remove all its troops from Lebanon based on the Taif Accord," said a statement released after a two-hour closed meeting of members of the opposition held Wednesday at Le Bristol Hotel in Beirut. While the first Bristol gathering, held in December, only called for a redeployment of the remaining 14,000 Syrian troops in Lebanon, on Wednesday the opposition agreed on an outright withdrawal. Some opposition members, particularly Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt, had been reluctant to use the word "withdrawal," arguing that the Syrian presence in the border area was necessary in light of the conflict with Israel. But sources said Wednesday the prominent opposition leader specifically called for the total withdrawal during the meeting. The opposition's new position comes a day after a visit to Beirut by Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, seen as the start of a new phase in bilateral relations, free of Syrian tutorage of Lebanon's politics through intelligence apparatus. Moallem even met with opposition members Batroun MP Butros Harb and Metn MP Nassib Lahoud. But Qornet Shehwan Gathering member Samir Franjieh said there are two conditions for the opposition to start talks with Syria: that all the opposition is part of the discussions, and that Damascus respects its demands. Following the Bristol meeting, Jumblatt accused the Syrian authorities of maintaining their intelligence apparatus in Beirut, despite earlier claims that those services have been moved outside the capital. "I would like to make the following remark to Moallem that Beirut southern suburb's intelligence posts have been moved to Beau Rivage (a hotel in the center of Beirut) and Aley." "We ask those (Syrians) that next time they want to come here, they should bring with them tow-trucks. It would be better for us and better for them," Jumblatt said.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Coppers thump Lebanese students

2004-03-11

A peaceful student sit-in protesting the emigration of young Lebanese because of political corruption turned violent on Wednesday when a mass of security forces descended upon the demonstrators at the Saint Joseph University (USJ) in Achrafieh. The students were beaten with rifle butts, three were arrested, and several injured, including Sami Gemayel, former President Amin Gemayel’s son. Organized by USJ students, including the Phalange Party-opposition wing, the Lebanese Forces and the National Liberal Party, the midday protest attracted about 100 students and at least double that number of security forces. Hadi and Shadi Abdel-Nour and Joe Saber, all three supporters of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), were arrested and then released. Although the FPM was not one of the organizers of the protest, they joined in when they saw their peers suppressed. “We were not part of the protest,” said George Sarrouh, an FPM student representative. “But when the problems started, we could not sit on the sidelines and watch our fellow students being beaten up for nothing.” “The repression of our most basic freedom, the freedom to demonstrate, which is guaranteed by our Lebanese Constitution and all the international conventions, is becoming a common practice by the regime”, said Roland Khoury, the FPM’s student coordinator. Hayyan Bourji, a second-year business management student, said Gemayel was beaten up by Internal Security Forces as were most of the demonstrating students. Bourji said students were planning to head to the Museum area and the Cabinet headquarters, but security forces surrounded the campus and blocked off all exits. “They feared that this peaceful manifestation of ours might turn into a protest against the Syrian presence in Lebanon and Syria itself,” he added. Bourji said banners denounced government policies that drive young people to emigrate. “Many students were hurt and some were injured,” said Bourji. When the violence set in the students broke up, and some tried to go home. The army intelligence with the help of ISF personnel caught them and gave them another round of severe beatings said Bourji. “They said they had photos of all of the protesters, which is all a lie. Many innocent bystanders were dragged to the other parking lot and hit under that argument. I was beaten up twice and the last to be hit too.” The ISF issued a statement, accusing demonstrators of provoking them and throwing stones, sticks and empty bottles, leaving three officers and five soldiers injured. The statement also accused students of promoting anti-Syrian and anti-government slogans. Members of the Qornet Shehwan Gathering and the Democratic Forum strongly condemned the oppression.

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