Saniora Rejects Armed Appearances in Sidon, Says March 14 Will Emerge Stronger after Elections
Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc head MP Fouad Saniora stated on Saturday his rejection of all appearances of gunmen in the southern city of Sidon, condemning blocking roads and “threatening people's movements”.
“We are against all appearances of gunmen in the city,” Saniora stressed in a speech he gave at Rafik Hariri High School during the commemoration of Sidon's liberation from Israeli occupation, insisting that judicial and security authorities are the “only bodies in charge of assuring security and of restoring people's rights”.
Saniora emphasized on the shared experiences between Sidon's residents and southerners during the Israeli occupation.
He remarked: “The city has always enjoyed openness and Christian-Muslim coexistence and everyone has the right to live here”.
“We'll preserve this,” he confirmed. “We will not, however, ignore injustice as we are against coercion and terrorizing people”.
“The city should not be used to serve plans of regional greed,” he noted. “There are violent intentions but we reject confronting them with internal clashes”.
The former PM called on the legal authorities to enforce the law and to penalize “those committing crimes" without providing any political cover-up on their activities.
Controversial Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir and his supporters rallied for the second day in a row on Saturday in Sidon's town of Abra amid heavy security deployment to protest claims that Hizbullah rented apartments in the vicinity of his mosque in the town.
Last week, the anti-Hizbullah Salafist cleric urged officials and authorities to force the evacuation of the apartments to avert a possible “strife or any dangerous incident".
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned during a televised speech on Wednesday that “some parties are pushing Lebanon in a very rapid manner to sectarian strife and working on that night and day and all the facts verify this issue".
He pointed out that some statements and remarks by some Sunni MPs and clerics are taking a very provocative and seditious course.
Tackling the upcoming parliamentary elections, Saniora said March 14 did have misunderstandings discussing the electoral law, but he insisted that the coalition will “emerge stronger”.
He expressed: “March 14 is not a political coalition but a vision for an independent, free and democratic state”.
“It's March 14's revolution that launched the Arab Spring,” he remarked.
The Mustaqbal MP explained that the bloc's rejection of the Orthodox Gathering's draft electoral law stems from the lawmakers' “belief in a united Lebanon”.
“We will oppose any attempt to divide Lebanon for political gains,” Saniora stated.
The Orthodox proposal which calls for a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system was endorsed by March 14's Phalange Party and the Lebanese Forces.
Meanwhile, it has been rejected by al-Mustaqbal, the Progressive Socialist Party of Walid Jumblat and March 14's independent Christian MPs, along with President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati.
Saniora commented on reports saying that Hizbullah fighters are engaged in battles in villages near the Lebanese-Syrian border, expressing his opposition to any armed interference in the neighboring country's war.
“Stop sending fighters to combat alongside President Bashar Assad's regimes,” he stated, calling on the cabinet to deploy army on the border and to seek the help of international emergency forces.
“A neutral cabinet is the answer to face regional developments and to restore economic and political stability,” he said.
Also addressing the council of ministers, Saniora said: “Do not cover-up on fraud cases that involved fake medications, smuggling gas and football match-fixing”.
11 years
Iran/Syria/Hezballah/ BAHSAR WU BASS
11 years
Soon the Iranian flag , the flag of Freedom will fly over Lebanon & Syria.
11 years
Karim - you are getting stranger and more radical by the day. People like you are the cause of Fitnas.
11 years
pray all you want. you are so full of hatred, you will get nowhere.
11 years
This karim with double underscore is what we call a discord maker using someone else user id. No one should bother reply to him.
11 years
no ft. this thing calling himself karim is not a M14. M14 might differ in opinion from u, but they are lebanon loving. This thing is pure junk.
11 years
Why are you so upset ? just being honest
11 years
I would rather Israel rule us then these infidels
11 years
Your the the real " theresistance", funny trying to sound like a goat
11 years
Yeah yeah, what are YOU and your M14 puppets going to do about it? shoot us with your political letters? You have nothing, you forgot last time we took shut up all our enemies withing 24 hours in Beirut
11 years
hahaha
11 years
We believe every word this liar says. And when he says March 14 will emerge stronger after the elections, he is confirming that he still considers the Kataeb and the Lebanese Forces to be the lackeys of Mafia Hariri, which is another believable thing that comes out of this liar's crooked mouth.
11 years
Regardless if it's the real karim or fake. The reallity is more hezb shaytan supporters share these same beleifs. Obviously they pledge allegiance before Lebanon. There is an area in Iran which is inhabited by Lebanese and they teach there Iranian counterparts the Lebanese culture, food, and even the dialect so that when Iran exports them to other regions, they don't cause any suspicion.
11 years
I don't support either march 8 or march 17. Just remember what was Lebanon before the french independence. I'm talking about 100 years ago. Well that is the Lebanon that is going to return. They use the divide and conquer method on the Islamic nation and always cry about the minorities. I'm not against other religions or sects but obviously we are on different beliefs , this doesn't mean justice should be imposed on all regardless of there status or religion,
11 years
To all those who are proud to be Lebanese or whatever nationality, I suggest you go read history and figure out who drew the borders and appointed the rulers. You aren't free if that's what you think.
11 years
Hamoody-u r sooo right!!!
Hezballah must take care of this man & his cronies, they are the cause of the instability in Syria & are allies of Israel. I pray Iran assassinates him & his allies