FPM Urges Election of 'Strong Christian President'
Senior officials of the Free Patriotic Movement and key members of the Change and Reform bloc demanded on Friday that an end be put to the extension of the term of state agencies and figures.
“We demand the election of a strong Christian president," they said in a statement read by MP Ibrahim Kanaan.
They made their remarks after a conclave held at the Deir al-Kalaa country club in Beit Mery.
They also rejected the extension of the term of President Michel Suleiman, lamenting that they had to hold the conclave in light of the extension of parliament's term due to the political parties' failure to reach an agreement over an electoral law.
“Lawmakers are responsible towards the people and the areas they represent,” they declared, while demanding that an agreement be reached over a new electoral law.
Parliamentary elections that were scheduled for June were consequently postponed as a result of the ongoing dispute over the electoral law.
They are set to be staged in November 2014.
The FPM and Change and Reform bloc blamed the rival political powers' disputes for the failure to stage the elections, saying that parliamentary work should be separated from political interests.
They therefore announced that they decided to form a number of committees aimed at tackling pending issues, adding that they will hold talks with all political powers in order to propose their initiative to end Lebanon's deadlock.
They demanded that a number of pending issues in Lebanon be resolved, most notably the approval of decrees linked to oil and gas exploration.
“The exploration of offshore oil and gas reserves should be sufficient reason to hold an extraordinary cabinet session,” they noted.
Moreover, they said: “Balance between various political institutions should be achieved through increasing the authority of the president.”
Commenting on the state of Christians in the region, the FPM and Change and Reform bloc said: “Christians are being oppressed in Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt.”
“The fate of Christians in the East is linked to that of the Muslims,” they added
They therefore called for joint Christian-Muslim cooperation to stand against religious oppression.
“The weakening of the role of Christians will eventually result in their elimination from Lebanon,” they warned.
Earlier on Friday, FPM leader MP Michel Aoun accused caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati of escaping his responsibilities rather than calling for a cabinet session to approve oil drilling decrees.
“Our natural resources should be used for development and not the division of shares. They neither belong to certain people nor to certain sects,” he said.
Two decrees are yet to be approved to award tenders for offshore oil and gas exploration. Their approval would designate Lebanon’s 10 offshore blocks for exploration and determine the model for revenue sharing.
over 10 years
It's a description. Not an incitation.
over 10 years
lol, what would we become without him!?
over 10 years
yeah same thing happened before. scenarios repeating just a theatre prepared between all coalitions. One will ask for a new president the rest will vote for the extension and than one will make an appeal and things go on./
over 10 years
God Bless the FPM and their support of us the Christians in the East. Yes, We are being oppressed by the Sunnis and their armed militias. Yes, we demand a strong Christian President similar to Aoun. The new president not only should be strong but also gymnastically fit. Yes, the political parties are to blame for this state of affairs but not the FPM. The FPM is not a political party but rather a sect called Aounis. It is a culture, a civilization, a way of life. God Bless Sayyed Hassanallah and Gen. Aoun....... Taratataaaaaa!
over 10 years
weak one RFT. You've had better ones.
over 10 years
The aoun sect was in Japan if I'm not mistaken? It was bad omen anyway for the Lebanese one anyway...
over 10 years
Anyway , anyway....
over 10 years
Why should the wishes of sunnis and of shias be sacred in lebanon while the wishes of christians should be trampled upon?
over 10 years
Incitation à la haine.... Bravo !
over 10 years
we do need a strong president that will order the army to go to the parliament and arrest all the mps for failing the country and take them all to the court of law. its a dream but it will happen one day.
over 10 years
FPM wants a "strong" president? but allies with hezbis to keep lebanon weak!!... hypocrisy at its best with FPM!
over 10 years
The Christians DO need a strong leader and we DO need a president who hammer the nail that sticks out of civil order and the law and isn't afraid to speak his mind.l A president who can get more than $8million for refugees (~$4 /refugee PFT!!). A STRONG Christian president is what this country needs most of all to offset the Shias and the Sunnis ceaselessly bickering and taking the country down with them.
NB: a STRONG president does NOT include GEAGEA!!
over 10 years
nor aoun ;)
over 10 years
The man's 80 years old and more capable to lead the country than Geagea ever will be. Though yes, I agree. HOWEVER, if we can't find one who is strong enough, than he is in fact included in such a list!
over 10 years
anonymetexasusa, sure, there are risks for everything, and in my opinion Suleiman has done the best he can, but seeing as how the pressure on Lebanon is tremendous, he should have been be more bold and confident. Your suggestion for the Christians is to basically not risk bringing in a stronger President who will protect Christian interests as strongly as Muslim leaders do?
over 10 years
anonymetexasusa, I don't believe that to be the case. While you're talking in hypotheticals, allow me to do the same:
All members of parliament agreed to reelect themselves in flagrant disregard for the constitution, because they only stood to gain from staying in their positions.
The president has been a beacon of cooperation and a bridge between the different parties in Lebanon, everybody, from all camps, more or less, look up to him for comfort and are always remembered how he is one of the few left who is sane still.
However, some see that a better alternative is needed, and that elections as decreed in the constitution should be carried out.
over 10 years
The position will not be left empty because of the reasons mentioned above and also because the Christian parties will never stand to see the post vacant, and that comes from all the Christian factions. Their respective parties and coalition in general cannot afford to reap discontent with their respective Christian parties, and will therefor rightly agree.
Who the replacement may be I don't know, but I believe that if a better replacement is present, then the risk should be taken of electing him to the position of presidency. Why I believe such a risk is very remote is because just like both camps agreed to extend their terms, both camps will not allow the position to be vacant, as it would be a major blow to themselves.
though politicians don't really seem to care about the constitution any longer, so I don't know how that'l play along.
over 10 years
anonymetexasusa, when did this happen? Context is needed.
Also, simply because it has happened, doesn't mean it'll always be the case. That's not a correct way to see things.
They don't agree on things because they think it is against their interest. Having no president benefits no one.
over 10 years
Oh right, if you're talking about Amil Lahoud's debacles then it's not really applicable.
over 10 years
Boutros Harb would be a good president !!
over 10 years
I'm tired of ex military men.... It's too banana republicish and old school!
We need a civilian.
over 10 years
you are talking nonsense M11, sorry! The only dominant sect is the Shia. Did the Sunni elect their strong man Miqati or Omar Karami to the Premiership? Who really appoints the PM in Lebanon?
over 10 years
True Galaxy, it's a major point. Sunnis don't get to pick the PM. Only Berri is glued to his chair.... But Shias didn't pick him either. We're ending up with a bunch of unwanted people occupying key chairs.
over 10 years
We need a President who does not have a Yacht!
over 10 years
60 years since independance and the christians are still playing victims... seems they have lived in apartheid for decades with no rights whatsoever... laughable!
and they claim to be secular ? LOL hypocrits.....
over 10 years
the big problem is that they encourage people to be like them to keep their power and interests...followed of course by the different churches and mosqs who get money and power too from this system! they all pretend to want to apply the constitution and taef but strangely forget to implement secularism ! no one dares change people's minds as all those leaders are still those who had their share in the civil war...
but who are to blame? the people of lebanon who accept this and still defend them... lebanese have what they deserve.
pityful country. they destroyed lebanon for their sole petty interests, lebanon exists no more, it is just a playground for them.
over 10 years
The Christians need to UNITE...instead of being pawns to HA and the Qaeda agenda's. Where did your dignity go???
FPM stands for Filthy Parliament Member.
In other words, dirtbags.