Bassil Wins FPM Presidency Uncontested, Says ‘Consensus is a Form of Democracy’
Naharnet/August 27/15/Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil won uncontested the presidency of the Free Patriotic Movement on Thursday, describing the “consensus” that contributed to his victory as a “form of democracy” aimed at keeping the FPM “strong.”Bassil will succeed his father-in-law and the movement’s founder MP Michel Aoun. The FM’s list won uncontested after the rival list was disqualified for “failing to submit all the required legal documents,” FPM secretary-general Elie Khoury announced.
Accordingly, Bassil’s allies Nicolas Sehnaoui and Rommel Saber won uncontested as deputy chief for political affairs and deputy chief for internal affairs respectively. The other list comprised Ziad al-Bayeh for the presidency and Elie Maalouf and Fares Louis for the posts of deputy chiefs. “We are the General’s guarantee and he has never sought a guarantee except from his people,” said Bassil at a ceremony celebrating his win, referring to Aoun. “The General will remain the movement’s temporal and eternal leader,” he stressed. Bassil described the FPM as “the salvation of Christians and the hope of the Lebanese and the people of the Levant.” “We’re a movement that is smaller than Lebanon and bigger than the Levant,” he said. Commenting on the agreement that was reached over the withdrawal of MP Alain Aoun from the race, Bassil noted that “consensus is a form of democracy.”“We reached consensus so that our movement can be strong today,” he said.
“The movement is strong by its principles and regional decentralization in the implementation of its decisions,” he added. MP Michel Aoun had declared that “the agreement over the elections was based on the will of the majority.” “I bless this decision and encourage it,” he said. After the announcement, MP Alain Aoun issued a statement saying: “Based on MP Michel Aoun’s wishes, my constant confidence in him, and my awareness of the impact on the unity of the FPM, given the major political pressure it is under, I urge all members to overcome this phase and continue to work together for the interest and future of the movement.” On Thursday, Bassil declared that the FPM wants the election of a “strong” president for the republic. Turning to the domestic political disputes, he added: “They won’t be able to defeat our will. They will target us and try to isolate us with the ‘takfiri sword’ and the sword of politics.”
“They will obstruct our projects and try to prevent us from making achievements. They will try to eliminate us in the squares, administrations, ministries and presidency, but we shall fall and rise because we are the sons of resurrection,” he added. The country has been without a president since Michel Suleiman’s term ended in May 2014. MP Michel Aoun is one of the main presidential candidates. The presidential vacuum has been increasingly affecting the work of the government and the parliament.
Aoun and his ministers are accusing Prime Minister Tammam Salam of infringing on the jurisdiction of the Christian president, arguing that the cabinet’s decrees and resolutions must enjoy the approval of all ministers, or blocs, in the event of a presidential vacuum. The FPM has also repeatedly announced that it is seeking to end what it calls the “marginalization” of Christians in Lebanon’s state administrations.
Aoun Visits al-Rahi, Receives Phone Call from Jumblat
Naharnet/August 27/15/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun held talks Thursday in Bkirki with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi. The two-hour meeting tackled “the general situations in the country, especially the presidential election and the work of the government, in addition to the regional situations and their repercussions on Lebanon,” state-run National News Agency said. The two men stressed “the need to communicate with all parties to reach solutions that preserve national unity and the National Pact.
”The National Pact is a 1943 unwritten agreement that set the foundations of modern Lebanon as a multi-confessional state. Later on Thursday, Aoun received a phone call from Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat. Jumblat stressed to Aoun that he is pinning hopes “on his wisdom in this critical period that Lebanon is going through,” the National News Agency said. He also underlined his keenness on “the continuation of communication and consultations” with the FPM chief. The country has been without a president since Michel Suleiman’s term ended in May 2014. Aoun is one of the main presidential candidates. The presidential vacuum has been increasingly affecting the work of the government and the parliament.
Aoun and his ministers are accusing Prime Minister Tammam Salam of infringing on the jurisdiction of the Christian president, arguing that the cabinet’s decrees and resolutions must enjoy the approval of all ministers, or blocs, in the event of a presidential vacuum.
Al-Rahi Following up Controversy on Cabinet Decrees
Naharnet/August 27/15/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is closely following up the issue of decrees that have been signed without the approval of all cabinet members, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday. The newspaper said that MP Ibrahim Kanaan from Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun’s Change and Reform bloc met with al-Rahi in Bkirki on Tuesday and discussed the issue with him.
Around 70 decrees have been passed without the signatures of the FPM and its allies.
