Mustaqbal Demands 'Single Standard' in Implementing Security Plans

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday stressed the need to "follow a single standard in the implementation of security plans in all regions and towards all parties and political forces,” while calling for the election of a “consensual” president according to March 14's recent initiative.

In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the bloc also condemned “the attacks on the army and its officers and soldiers,” stressing that “this behavior serves the goals of Lebanon's enemies.”

But the bloc noted that “there are well-known political, partisan and journalistic sides that are trying to give the impression that the regions of Akkar and the North are hostile towards the Lebanese state and its military and security institutions, topped by the Lebanese army.”

Mustaqbal warned of “plots aimed at harming the North region and its political and national history.”

Armed attacks on the army have surged in recent months in the North region, especially in the wake of the deadly battle with jihadist groups in the northeastern town of Arsal.

Echoing remarks by Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, who is a member of al-Mustaqbal movement, the bloc called for “following a single standard in the implementation of security plans in all regions and towards all parties and political forces,” warning against “double standards that would weaken the state and its image and credibility.”

“The current government is a government that 'suspended the disputes' among the Lebanese parties, whose viewpoints are at odds over key issues but harmonious regarding the major national principles embodied in the National Pact, the Constitution and the Taef Accord,” Mustaqbal added.

Turning to the issue of the stalled presidential election, the bloc underlined “the importance of reaching a national settlement aimed at the election of a consensual president according to the initiative of the March 14 forces, which is the best way to exit the current crisis in the country.”

Mustaqbal also called for tackling the Syrian refugee crisis in a manner that would “balance between addressing the refugee problem and preserving the firm and historic relations between the Lebanese and Syrian peoples.”

The country plunged into a political vacuum as president Michel Suleiman's term ended on May 25.

The rival political forces have so far failed to elect a successor despite having held more than a dozen electoral sessions.

Y.R.