March 14, in defense of our great Lebanon
Nayla Tueni/Al Arabiya/March 18/16
No one in Lebanon “owns” the historical day of March 14. It is neither the property of parties competing over it, nor an occasion to hold festivals and announce stances. March 14 is not a political alliance to hold, or agree to hold, parliamentary and municipal elections. It is not an occasion to spite the March 8 coalition and its parties, which held on to Syrian tutelage following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, and continued to involve Lebanon in the Syrian swamp. Some of these March 8 parties have gone as far as getting involved in Bahrain and Yemen, and have ruined Lebanon’s relations with brotherly countries.March 14 is the spirit of sovereignty, independence and freedom. It is the basis for a bright future that respects humans and citizens regardless of their politics or religion. March 14 rejected tutelage, occupation and dependency. It represents loyalty to all the martyrs who fell, and all those who survived assassination attempts. March 14 is slain politician and publisher Gebran Tueni’s oath on the unity of the Lebanese people to defend our great country. It is the dream of the civil state that late Bishop Gregoire Haddad called for. It is a country of human rights, as set down by late diplomat Charles Malek, who helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the economic dream that almost faded away with the assassination of Hariri.
Mobilization
March 14 is the youths who set up tents in Martyrs’ Square in downtown Beirut to protest Syrian troops’ presence in Lebanon, and eventually forced politicians to join them in this independence revolution that defeated the Syrian occupier. March 14 is the people who went to Martyrs’ Square on that historical day in their millions – the biggest protest Lebanon has ever witnessed, and which will be a lesson for future generations. They went to the square on their own; no one mobilized them – on the contrary, parties followed them. Those people only raised the Lebanese flag that day – proof that they had not been broken by proxy wars. March 14 harmonizes with the “Free Your Mind” campaign that An-Nahar newspaper launched a month ago, which aims to push the Lebanese people to a revolution that does not destroy, but rather sets proper foundations for the future. We are aware that political parties and sectarian affiliations are more able to influence people. However, we are also aware that the Lebanese people – who resisted Israeli occupation, rejected Syrian tutelage and thwarted the plan to establish a substitute country for the Palestinians on their land – deserve a country that suits them.
They deserve to have institutions that look after them and provide them with the best services. It is in their interest to build a state of institutions. We are betting on the Lebanese people and on March 14 supporters, who are not bound by political parties or sects.
Security Council Urges Lebanese Officials to ‘Act Responsibly,’ and Elect a President
Naharnet/March 18/16/The U.N. Security Council has reiterated its call on Lebanon’s rival politicians to elect a president and appealed for more support from the international community for the Lebanese army and police. “The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their deep concern over the 21-month vacancy in the presidency of Lebanon and the current political stalemate in government, which seriously impair Lebanon’s ability to address the security, economic, social and humanitarian challenges facing the country,” they said in a statement issued on Thursday, The Council expressed concern over the parliament’s failure to elect a president following a lack of quorum and reaffirmed its call on all Lebanese officials “to act responsibly and with leadership and flexibility to urgently convene a parliamentary session and proceed to the election” of a head of state. The members of the Council called on “all Lebanese leaders to adhere to Lebanon’s Constitution and to the Taef Agreement and National Pact, to put Lebanon’s stability and national interests ahead of partisan politics.” They also urged all parties to facilitate the functioning of public institutions. The statement was issued a day after they were briefed by U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 and by Dimitry Titov, the assistant secretary-general for the rule of law in the department of peacekeeping operations. Lebanon has been without a head of state since the term of President Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014. The Council also appealed for international support for Lebanon’s army and security forces. It underscored the crucial role played by them in extending the authority of the state and supporting the country’s stability. The members of the Council reiterated their call for the continuation of international support for the army and police through additional and expedited assistance in counterterrorism and border protection.
