FPM protesters, Army face off near Grand Serail
Rima S. Aboulmona| The Daily Star/July 09, 2015/BEIRUT: Seven soldiers and 17 protesters were wounded during a scuffle between the Lebanese Army and Free Patriotic Movement supporters near the Grand Serail in Downtown Beirut Thursday, the military and activists said. The violence began when supporters of MP Michel Aoun charged through an Army barrier and marched toward the Grand Serail where the Cabinet was meeting. But they only advanced about 50 meters until being stopped by a second line of soldiers. The Army had tried in vain to hold back the protesters who took to the streets about an hour after Prime Minister Tammam Salam angrily shouted at FPM Minister Gebran Bassil in Cabinet over a month-long political dispute related to security appointments. Baton-wielding soldiers hit demonstrators as they forced their way through the barrier, causing some to fall to the ground. Some protesters hit back with their flag sticks.The Army said seven soldiers were wounded during the confrontation, and FPM activists said 17 were hurt among their ranks. The Lebanese Army said in a statement that the military “will not be drawn into any confrontation with any [political] team.” “Our goal is to protect the constitutional institutions and public and private property, [ensure] the safety of citizens as well as secure the freedom of expression of all the Lebanese people in accordance with the laws and regulations,” the Army said.
At least one FPM activist was arrested on Banks Street, according to television reports. He was identified as Tony Orban. FPM lawmakers on the scene had encouraged the protesters to enter the Grand Serail. “Why shouldn’t they [protesters] move forward?” MP Ibrahim Kanaan said. Security forces had taken tight measures in anticipation of the protests. The Lebanese Army blocked access to the Grand Serail and riot police stood guard at the main entrance of the government building. Television footage showed the protesters stuck outside a security perimeter in Downtown Beirut for about 30 minutes before they tried to bypass it by taking a different route. But dozens of soldiers then rushed to block off their new route. Some of the protesters tried to force their way through, sparking an initial brief scuffle. Television footage showed one man’s hand covered in blood. Antoun Souaid, the president of the FPM Youth Sector, urged the protesters to back down and not to challenge the Army. He later told reporters that the FPM was fully supportive of the Army and regretted the violence, noting one of the protesters was receiving treatment at a hospital.
The protesters later divided into two groups: one at Riad al-Solh Square, and another at the nearby Banks Street. The protesters at Banks Street then began chanting: “God, Lebanon, Aoun, and that’s it!” After several minutes of chanting, the protesters charged toward soldiers and broke through their security perimeter. Kanaan denounced as “unacceptable” the violent response of security forces who prevented the protesters from marching to the Grand Serail. “A man was injured,” he said, challenging a reporter who appeared to suggest the protesters were responsible for the scuffle. He accused the government of trying to suppress their right to protest. “We are not used to taking permission from anyone, especially when it comes to national issues,” he said. Protesters cleared Dowtown Beirut after the end of the Cabinet session, with a number of them telling reporters they were heading to Rabieh, where Aoun held a news conference an hour later. In his speech, Aoun criticized the Army for “assaulting” the protesters and expressed doubt that seven soldiers were wounded.
In response, the Army published a brief statement on Twitter saying its troops only responded with violence after they were attacked by the protesters. The demonstrators, who had been gathered outside the FPM headquarters in Sin al-Fil since 10 a.m. when the Cabinet sesssion got underway, decided to protest outside the Grand Serail after a shouting match erupted between Salam and Bassil. “We will break the hands of anyone who tries to break ours,” one Aoun partisan said from the gathering site. “Our dignity was trampled upon,” another shouted. Television footage showed Salam pounding his hand on the table in anger at Bassil during the Cabinet meeting. The FPM-run news site Tayyar.org said in a news alert that “Daeshi (ISIS-like) Salam has insulted Christians.” Aoun has been enraged after the government last week ignored the FPM’s demand to prioritize the issue of key security and military appointments.
Aoun after Cabinet meet: ‘We got what we wanted’
Nizar Hassan/The Daily Star/ July 09, 2015
BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement chief Michel Aoun declared that his party came out victorious from Thursday’s Cabinet session, saying the body would no longer pass any bill without his ministers’ approval. “We achieved what we wanted from the Cabinet session today,” Aoun said in a news conference after the end of a turbulent Cabinet session that was accompanied by violent scuffles between his party’s supporters and the Army outside the Grand Serail. “No decision will be made [in the Cabinet] without our approval.”
He said the decree passed by Cabinet concerning contracts with hospitals was approved by his ministers. Commenting on the protest, which the military said left seven Army soldiers and a number of FPM activists wounded, Aoun saluted his supporters saying they were “assaulted” by security forces. “I want to ask the [Army]… Why these statements? To justify your assaults on people?” he said. “Nobody attacked you, you attacked protesters,” he continued, expressing doubt that seven soldiers were wounded. Aoun, who is a former Army commander, said the statements released by the Army should be restricted to “historical” matters.
“Have you forgotten what I taught you about [releasing statements]?” Aoun, a former Army general, asked. “They should be historical without any small mistake or a comma in the wrong place… this is what I educated you on.”The Army later responded on its Twitter page, saying its troops did not use violence until they were attacked by protesters. “The Army’s leadership stresses that it did not use force with some protesters until they targeted troops, used force against them and tried to overcome the fences,” the military said. “The leadership reiterates its full commitment to protecting the freedom of peaceful expression for all the Lebanese, without allowing any assaults on constitutional institutions or public and private properties.” Aoun said his supporters had not planned on holding a popular protest outside the Grand Serail, but “the event imposed it,” referring to the dispute between Prime Minister Tammam Salam and the FPM’s Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil. Asked whether he was planning for more street action, Aoun showed satisfaction with the outcome of the Cabinet, but left all options on the table.“I wake up every day laughing at them [rival politicians], because they haven’t recognized the famous international title that I have been given: Mr. Unpredictable.”
“All of you are either underestimating our intelligence, or you are actually ignorant,” he said. “Neither America, Russia nor the whole world can move me by a hair. I would be martyred for my positions.”He reiterated stances he had taken two days earlier, saying that his party would not allow for the election of a president until a new electoral law is adopted and new parliamentary elections are held on its basis. “The only way in which a president could be elected by this Parliament is through a political compromise that respects the real sizes of representation.” In this vein, Aoun sent an indirect message to Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai, who has since last year been calling on lawmakers to head to Parliament and elect a president. “I don’t want to hear anyone, whatever his value, prestige or position, saying that we are disrupting the presidency,” he said. “Those who are saying ‘go to the Parliament’ are actually encouraging the violation of the Constitution.”Bassil held a brief news conference shortly after Aoun’s, announcing that he and Education Minister Elias Bou Saab, who is the FPM’s other minister, reached a “political agreement” on four items. Among those were a promise that no decisions would be made without FPM’s approval, taking a two-week break to discuss the matter of disputes before another Cabinet session, and fully dedicating the session after Eid al-Fitr to discussing it. He said he would hold another news conference around noon on Friday to explain in detail the result of the session.
Cabinet passes decree after shouting match
Hashem Osseiran/The Daily Star/July 09, 2015
BEIRUT: A deeply divided Cabinet opened Thursday with a heated argument between Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil who were filmed shouting at each other before reporters were scurried out of the room. Photographers were kicked out of the session because of the argument that erupted over differing interpretations of the Constitution.But tensions eventually eased and the meeting ended about four and a half hours later, culminating in an agreement to postpone discussions to a session scheduled for July 23.Ministers also managed to suppress tensions and pass one agenda item relating to supplying funds to Lebanese public hospitals. Hezbollah’s Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan said after the meeting that issues “were resolved.”Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas said that the constitutional infrastructure of the country cannot accomodate the Free Patriotic Movement’s demands. After the session, Bassil and Education Minister Elias Bou Saab, the FPM’s two ministers in government, joined a mass protest outside the Grand Serail sparked by the spat between Salam and Bassil. “Today we got what we wanted,” Bassil said from the protest site. “We have a long battle… and we will not accept anything less than our rights.”The foreign minister added that the battle “is not tied to an agenda item, a Cabinet session, a time or a place.”“The battle just started and it won’t end now.”Bou Saab said: “The meeting started tensely but after over three hours of discussions we agreed on a solution that will see ministers taking two weeks to carry out talks before the next session.”Speaking from the FPM protest site, the education minister said that Thursday’s agreement ensured that not a single agenda item will be imposed on ministers. The next session, according to Bou Saab, will discuss presidential prerogatives. As for the agenda item that was passed on the basis of consensus, Bou Saab said that an agreement was reached because the bill was backed by the FPM. The official statement released after the session said that ministers discussed the president’s prerogatives in light of the presidential vacuum and how these prerogatives should be exercised by the Cabinet in the absence of a head of state. The “exhaustive talks” among ministers were followed by Salam announcing his keenness on resolving political issues. As such, Salam vowed to discuss the issue of presidential prerogatives and the authority of ministers in a session scheduled for later this month. Ministers then discussed the first item on the agenda, and allocated funds to public and private hospitals at the cost of the Health Ministry.
During the session, Salam expressed dismay at the words that were exchanged with Bassil before the session and urged mutual respect between members of Cabinet and an abidance by protocol. The premier said that Lebanon’s democratic system allows for political disputes but not clashes that serve to disrupt the country. He added that the Cabinet is not tasked with solving contentious political issues but rather facilitating vital domestic affairs that pertain to people’s livelihoods. In reference to FPM protests, Salam said that the critical situation in the country does not allow for popular mobilization and attempts to put the country in the face of danger. The argument in Cabinet began when Bassil accused the prime minister of “violating the Constitution and encroaching on the prerogatives of the president.
The premier responded by saying: “I did not give you the right to speak.”“This form of disturbance is unacceptable, when I speak you remain silent.”A Daily Star photographer who was in the meeting said Salam was discussing an issue with Health Minister Wael Abu Faour before the argument began. As soon as photographers entered the hall, Bassil clicked on his microphone and voiced concerns that are usually reserved for a closed session. Salam denounced Bassil’s comments and urged him to abide by protocol by saving his remarks until after photographers exited the premises. “You are provoking us in front of the media,” Salam told Bassil. The argument quickly escalated into a shouting match between the two. The usually unflappable premier then blasted at Bassil, as ministers allied with the March 14 camp broke into applause. The Grand Serail banned any live coverage of Thursday’s meeting following the dispute. Journalists were also escorted outside and were prevented from reporting ministers’ statements. Bassil entered Thursday’s session carrying the Lebanese Constitution, saying “today I am protesting with the Constitution.” Telecoms Minister Boutros Harb fired back at Bassil by saying that the latter should “read the Constitution before demonstrating for it.”
Salam Vows to Combat Paralysis: Cabinet Session Will Go ahead in Spite of Aoun’s Objections Naharnet 09/15/Prime Minister Tammam Salam rejected on Thursday the accusations directed against him by Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun regarding the presidency, saying that those who are “incapable of electing a president should not make arbitrary accusations,” reported As Safir newspaper on Thursday. He told the daily: “Today’s cabinet session will be held as scheduled.” “The cabinet’s main role is to manage the country, not a political crisis. It is therefore not a suitable place to resolve disputes,” he added.
“It certainly is not an appropriate place to dismantle the country’s system,” he continued. “I cannot accept that the cabinet’s role be crippled when it comes to tackling issues of state and the people,” Salam declared. “I believe that political problems should be resolved by local factions outside of cabinet. The dialogue between the Mustaqbal Movement and Hizbullah and the dialogue between the Free Patriotic Movement and Lebanese Forces are examples of what can be achieved to that end,” he explained. “If some political forces cannot achieve their goals, then that does not mean that they should take out their frustrations on the cabinet,” stressed the premier. He defended his approach of “seeking consensus while avoiding paralysis,” adding: “It is unacceptable for some sides to cripple it.”“The government would therefore become the hostage of one or two of its components,” he noted. “I will combat attempts to obstruct cabinet. My conscience is clear,” he stated. Asked about Aoun’s accusations that he has “usurped the role of the president,” Salam responded: “My actions and positions indicate the contrary.”
“I am barely preserving my privileges as prime minister,” he added. “They should not make arbitrary accusations if they are incapable of electing a president. Those who want to launch a revolution, change the political system, or destroy the country should assume responsibility for their actions,” he stressed. On Aoun’s accusations that the cabinet is “marginalizing the role of Christians and violating their rights,” Salam said that none of the Christian parties such as the Kataeb and Lebanese Forces and independent Christian figures of the March 14 coalition had made similar claims. “The Christian camp, whose representation is being usurped, has demonstrated a lot of understanding and trust in me,” he emphasized. The premier asserted that he has maintained his position as a neutral figure since being elected to his post. On whether he is worried about the street protests, he commented: “Peaceful and civilized street action is legitimate in principle, but the situation Lebanon and the region are passing through make us wary of such an option.” “If Aoun wants to use protests against other forces, then that is up to him, but if he wants to use them against the cabinet, then that is a form of deceit because he is part of the government,” Salam noted. Supporters of the FPM kicked off on Wednesday roaming convoys in preparation for demonstrations scheduled for Thursday in protest against what Aoun said was the violation of the rights of Christians. “Our protests are peaceful and are part of preparing for the movements demanding the restoration of the rights of Christians,” said Hisham Kanj of the FPM’s Metn department. Aoun has called on his supporters to prepare for rallies to regain the “Christians’ rights.” He is waiting for the outcome of Thursday’s cabinet session to give the green light for street mobility. His supporters began preparing to stage anti-government rallies after the cabinet failed to discuss the appointment of high-ranking security and military officials.
Cabinet Parties Agree to Continue Thorny Mechanism Debate after Eid as FPM Protesters Scuffle with Army
Naharnet 09/15/Cabinet convened on Thursday morning to tackle its mechanism as supporters of the Free Patriotic Movement took to the streets to demand “the restoration of Christian rights.”The cabinet session was held to tackle the government’s mechanism of taking decisions in light of the presidential vacuum. Prior to the meeting, a heated exchange took place between Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, prompting officials at the Grand Serail to request the media to leave the premises. Bassil had arrived at the Serail with a copy of the constitution, saying that he was “demonstrating for it.”Commenting on his actions, Telecommunications Minister Butros Harb said: “He should read the constitution before demonstrating for it.” Bassil started the session by attempting to discuss the jurisdiction of the president, reported LBCI television. A quarrel later erupted between Ministers Wael Abou Faour and Akram Shehayeb with Bassil. The television station spoke of a number of heated exchanges that took place in cabinet before they died down and the ministers were able to discuss the cabinet agenda. It managed to approve one ordinary agenda article. After the article was passed, “the premier proposed discussing the issue of the cabinet’s mechanism in the session that will be held after Eid al-Fitr,” promising that it will be “the first item on the agenda,” Information Minister Ramzi Jreij told reporters after the session. “I have endorsed the principle of consensus in the cabinet’s work to avoid paralysis and I will keep holding onto this approach,” Salam said during the session, according to Jreij. “The mission of our coalition government is running the country’s affairs, not resolving the controversial political issues,” the PM added. He also stressed keenness on his jurisdiction, calling on all parties to respect “posts and dignities” and underlining his “commitment to the Constitution.”The FPM supporters had gathered near the Grand Serail in Beirut and scuffled with the army as they attempted to head to the government building. The army and security forces had bolstered their presence in the area in anticipation of any security development, blocking all roads leading to the Grand Serail. The supporters had earlier vowed to stage “peaceful and civilized protests,” pledging that they will not block any roads. One person was wounded in the scuffles, accusing the army of beating him.
The military later issued a statement declaring that “it will not be lured into any confrontation,” stressing that it is “tasked with protecting state institutions and the people.”It announced that seven of its members were wounded in the protests. Bassil and Education Minister Elias Bou Saab, both of the FPM, headed to the protesters soon after the end of the cabinet session. The demonstrators soon began clearing the area at the end of the session. “Today, we achieved what we want, but this is the beginning and not the end of the battle, which is not confined to a certain article, location or time,” Bassil told the protesters. For his part Bou Saab said the session that will be held after Eid will be dedicated to “discussing and defining the powers of the president.”“We are partners in the country and we refuse to be marginalized,” he added. Asked about the scuffles with the army, Bou Saab stressed that the FPM “will protect the army and its rights” and that “no one can put us in a confrontation with it.”Earlier this week, FPM chief MP Michel Aoun had called on his supporters to prepare for rallies to regain what he described as the “Christians’ rights.”His supporters began preparing to stage anti-government rallies after the cabinet failed to discuss the appointment of high-ranking security and military officials. The protests kicked off on Wednesday evening through roaming convoys in several regions.
Loyalty to Resistance Voices Solidarity with FPM, Slams Mustaqbal’s ‘Unilateral Policies’
Naharnet 09/15/Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc voiced “solidarity” Thursday with the Free Patriotic Movement in the wake of street protests by the FPM over the government’s decision-taking mechanism. In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the bloc said it discussed “the growing political crisis in the country and means to overcome it in a manner that reactivates the work of the cabinet and the parliament and creates an opportunity to fill the presidential void.” It accused the rival al-Mustaqbal movement and “its lackeys” of endorsing “policies of unilateralism, arrogance and marginalization of the partners in the country throughout the past years.” The alleged policies have “undermined the state, paralyzed its constitutional institutions and pushed the aggrieved to raise the voice to demand the rights that were usurped through the bad implementation of the Taef Accord,” Loyalty to Resistance added. “The campaign that some parties are waging against the methods of action that the FPM is being pushed to will not succeed in diverting the attention of the Lebanese from the unilateral and exclusionary policies that prompted the FPM to launch its protests against the entire decaying situation,” the bloc stressed. “Based on our commitment to the Constitution, and its inseparable preamble, we renew our solidarity with the FPM regarding the country’s interest in real partnership, and we call on everyone to a brave reevaluation that would allow an agreement on rectifying the course and reviving the institutions,” Loyalty to Resistance went on to say. It called on the government to “abide by the mechanism of consensus in taking cabinet decisions to guarantee the needed balance amid these extraordinary situations.”The bloc also warned that “paralyzing the parliament’s legislative and supervisory roles has harmed the interests of the country and the citizens, reflected negatively on the regularity of the cabinet’s work, and complicated the presidential vacuum crisis.”Earlier on Thursday, FPM chief MP Michel Aoun announced after a stormy cabinet session and violent street protests that his movement managed to achieve its objectives from what he had dubbed as a “fateful day,” stressing that “there will be no new president” before the political forces agree on a new electoral law. During the heated session, the cabinet’s parties agreed to continue the thorny debate over the cabinet’s decision-taking mechanism after Eid al-Fitr. Aoun had called on his supporters to prepare for rallies to restore what he described as “the rights of the Christians.” Preparations for the demos began after the cabinet failed to discuss the appointment of high-ranking security and military officials.The FPM chief has been lobbying for the appointment of Commando Regiment commander Chamel Roukoz, his son-in-law, as army chief.
Bou Saab: Hizbullah Will Completely Advocate FPM Positions at Cabinet
Naharnet 09/15/Education Minister Elias Bou Saab stressed that the Free Patriotic Movement ministers will tackle the government’s mechanism in wake of the presidential vacuum during its session on Thursday morning, reported al-Mustaqbal daily. He told the daily: “Hizbullah will voice its absolute support to the demands of the FPM during the session.”A meeting was held on Wednesday afternoon at the Foreign Ministry between FM Jebran Bassil and delegates from its allies in Hizbullah, the Marada Movement, and Tashnag Party in preparation for the session. “We were in total agreement with Hizbullah during the talks,” revealed Bou Saab to al-Mustaqbal. Prime Minister Tammam Salam will be asked to explain “the violation of the consensual mechanism we had agreed upon at cabinet in the absence of a president,” said the minister. “The cabinet cannot re-launch its practices without reaching an agreement on this issue,” he stated. Supporters of the FPM kicked off on Wednesday roaming convoys in preparation for demonstrations scheduled for Thursday in protest against what Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said was the violation of the rights of Christians. “Our protests are peaceful and are part of preparing for the movements demanding the restoration of the rights of Christians,” said Hisham Kanj of the FPM’s Metn department. Aoun has called on his supporters to prepare for rallies to regain the “Christians’ rights.” He is waiting for the outcome of Thursday’s cabinet session to give the green light for street mobility. His supporters began preparing to stage anti-government rallies after the cabinet failed to discuss the appointment of high-ranking security and military officials.
