Don’t rock the boat The Daily Star/ May. 20, 2015 |
While Lebanon remains in a precarious situation, any “initiatives” which seek to bide time and score political points are not just a waste of time but are potentially dangerous traps which will achieve nothing positive for the country.Amid the presidential vacuum, Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun last week suggested four alternative options for electing a president, instead of the current system in which Parliament decides. Option one, which he had already mooted last year, would see two stages of voting, with Christians nominating candidates in the first round, and citizens voting for them in the second. Another proposal would see a popular referendum. Both ideas would toy with the spirit of the Taif Accord. Such suggestions are therefor not just foolish, but could have dangerous ramifications. Having criticized Taif since its 1989 inception, Aoun continues to do so. He seeks to amend it before all its articles have fully been realized. Having ended the Civil War, Taif is among the last pillars holding Lebanon together. Aoun also sought to criticize the Cabinet, and appeared to urge dissension among the Lebanese public. Why advocate further chaos when the country is already struggling to maintain a shaky security situation and protect its borders? It is politically immature to create obstacles and suggest provoking havoc when the presidential vacuum and wider political climate needs calm proposals and clear minds. And Aoun should be aware that the Lebanese public and politicians alike are savvy enough to recognize that all of his “initiatives” are little more than attempts to win the presidency for himself.
Dispute with Aoun limited to ‘administrative’ issues: Berri
The Daily Star/May. 20, 2015 /BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri dismissed speculation of an emerging political rift with Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun Wednesday, saying that the differences between the two were related to administrative manners. Berri told lawmakers who visited his Ain al-Tineh residence that there is no “strategic dispute” with Aoun. The current differences between the two relate to “assessing some interests in state administration,” he added. Berri also condemned what he described as “lost opportunities” resulting from the political deadlock in the country, noting that the impasse would lead to “large losses” in vital cases, such as Lebanon’s gas and oil reserves. With regards to the appointment of military and security chiefs, Berri reiterated his support for the appointment of new officials, but said that he would support term extensions if political forces fail to agree on new appointments.
FPM lobbies Hezbollah, Future on Aoun proposal
The Daily Star/May. 20, 2015
BEIRUT: A Free Patriotic Movement delegation met Wednesday with lawmakers from Hezbollah and the Future Movement’s parliamentary blocs to promote FPM chief Michel Aoun’s latest initiative to break the yearlong presidential vacuum. Hezbollah welcomed the initiative by its Christian ally to solve the persisting crisis. “Aoun’s initiative offered realistic solutions,” head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc Mohammad Raad told reporters following a meeting at his office with an FPM delegation. “Seriously considering the solutions [proposed by Aoun] could lead to an exit to the crisis,” he added. MP Emile Rahme, from Sleiman Frangieh’s United Free Lebanon Bloc, but who is also affiliated with the FPM, called after the meeting on political forces not to approach the initiative from the standpoint of political rivalry. Instead, he said, view it as an attempt to revive a balanced national partnership. “There is a need to look at Aoun’s initiative as though it is an opportunity and a means to solve the ongoing crisis,” he said. The FPM delegation later met with lawmakers from the Future Bloc. After the meeting, Change and Reform Bloc MP Alain Aoun said Wednesday’s “honest dialogue” revealed the concerns of each group which would allow for attempts to bridge these differences in a coming phase. He noted existing disagreements over “certain issues” regarding Lebanon’s presidential crisis, the appointment of military and security chiefs and the drafting of a new election law. Future MP Ahmad Fatfat said that despite these political differences, the meeting revealed several bipartisan interests that could be built upon. “And this is what we will work toward,” he said.
He said that a “careful study” of Aoun’s initiative will be approached on the basis on preserving the Taif agreement and not amending the Constitution. The FPM delegation since Monday has been visiting political leaders to promote Aoun’s initiative, announced last week.
On Tuesday, the delegation met with lawmakers from Speaker Nabih Berri’s parliamentary bloc and Marada Movement leader Sleiman Frangieh. On Monday, it met separately with Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Kataeb chief Amine Gemayel. Aoun’s proposal, announced at a news conference Friday, provided four options to solve the presidential crisis, including the election of a president directly by the people. Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah in a speech Saturday had urged political leaders to take Aoun’s initiative seriously, noting that dialogue sessions between rival political parties in Lebanon have not, and probably will not lead to the election of a president. Lebanon has been without a president since May 25, 2014, when former president Michel Sleiman’s term ended. “I urge political forces to look into, consider and study [this proposal],” Nasrallah said. “The country can’t wait anymore.” The FPM delegation is expected to meet with Future bloc leader Fouad Siniora later Wednesday to discuss the proposal.
