Change and Reform Urges Govt. to 'Provide Proper Atmosphere' for Holding Presidential Vote

The Change and Reform parliamentary bloc on Tuesday called on the government to “provide the proper political and security atmospheres” for holding the upcoming presidential election on time, calling for keeping the issue of disappeared persons away from political bickering.

“Solutions can only come through activating the work of state institutions and the political system we have, so that we can securely hold the presidential election,” MP Ibrahim Kanaan told reporters after the bloc's weekly meeting in Rabiyeh.

“The government must provide the needed security and political atmosphere that would make it easier for the parliament to hold the presidential vote,” he said.

“There is a tripartite equation that must be provided: rights, capabilities and reform,” Kanaan added.

He called on the army to “perform its missions to preserve citizens' security” in the wake of the recent clashes.

Commenting on recent media reports about the fate of Lebanese citizens who were detained by the Syrian regime, Kanaan said: “There is a humanitarian cause called the cause of those who disappeared in Syria and for us it is a humanitarian case par excellence, not a political issue.”

“At a time when some journalists and politicians were trying to exploit this file politically, we were approaching it in a humanitarian manner,” he added.

Kanaan noted that former justice minister Shakib Qortbawi, a representative of the bloc in Najib Miqati's cabinet, was “behind creating the National Committee for the Forcibly Disappeared.”

“We urge everyone bringing up this issue to keep it away from cheap political exploitation and the solution lies in continuing with the new justice minister the steps we had begun,” he added.

Turning to the issue of the fierce clashes between Syrian forces and rebels in the Latakia area of Kasab, Kanaan said: “Humanitarian disasters are taking place in Syria and there is a city called Kasab whose residents are predominantly Armenian and it is suffering a calamity.”

“We put this city before the Arab public opinion and urge Arabs to address the issue away from political debate. Is it acceptable to support this extremism?” he added.