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Reformist
20 Posts |
 Posted - 05/24/2005 : 08:43:14 AM
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ReformLebanon: The election joke … Vote wisely or don’t vote at all
23/05/05 – ReformLebanon.com
Star Wars and The Kingdom of Heaven have captured the limelight at the Cannes Film Festival this year, but in Beirut the comical farce titled “Parliamentary Elections 2005” has stolen the show. The only difference is, to the misery of the Lebanese people, our comedy is a reality we have to live with.
Saad Hariri seems to be filling in his father’s shoes quite well and is set to become the prominent force in Parliament. With the blessing of the US, France and Saudi Arabia, Hariri has been able to knock out prominent Sunni rivals such as Omar Karami and Al Jamaa Islamiya to become the undisputed leader of the Sunni community in the upcoming elections. Hariri has also managed to bring into his alliance prominent sectarian figures and old foes such as Walid Jumblatt, Samir Geagea’s LF and Amine Gemayel’s faction of the Phalange Party.
This powerful alliance headed by Hariri with Jumblatt as his protégé is stretching its claws to all corners of Lebanon. Beirut has already been carved up by Hariri before a single ballot has even been cast with several pro-Hariri candidates winning by default. Similar circumstances have occurred in Sidon, where Bahia Hariri has also won by default. Saad Hariri is predicting to win “80 – 90 seats” out of 128 in Parliament at these coming elections.
Suleiman Franjiyeh is set to win his seat despite tough opposition from the Hariri bloc. Despite receiving the boot from Jumblatt and possibly Hariri, Michel Aoun’s secular FPM will struggle without key alliances, but Aoun is set to win his seat in Kesrouan-Jbeil.
The South will see the return of a powerful Hizballah-Amal monopoly, with independents helpless against the Resistance ticket. It will also see the return of prominent clan figure, Kamel el Asaad.
Amidst the shuffling, the squabbling and scuffling between rival factions and wealthy families for a slice of power, is anyone consulting the Lebanese public? The sectarian establishment already disfavours the Lebanese public, and now seats are being nominated without even a single vote cast as a result of under the table deals between the various factions. From the outside, this does appear as a laughable joke, but this will be the misery for the Lebanese people as the selfish powers return, maintaining the social divisions and economic nightmare in order to serve their interests.
After 15 years of war, and another 15 years of foreign domination, is this the best result we can come up with? Approximately 200,000 Lebanese souls perished between 1975 and 1990. To see the very leaders responsible for the deaths of our loved ones return to power and boost their wealth at the expense of the people of Lebanon is an outrage and an insult.
Think twice before you vote this year, don’t let the corrupt establishment vote for you. |
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jackobeid
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2005 : 11:02:29 AM
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I agree with you.that's why I believe the current leaders in Lebanon lack the " moral responsibility " needed for good governance.
Everyone keeps talking about satisfying this faction or the other , but no one mentions the Lebanese people as a whole.
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Eyad
Lebanon
24 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2005 : 8:34:51 PM
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OK reformist, good analysis!
But do you have a solution to propose? Are you running? Or do you recommend specific candidates with declared programs? |
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Jean
Lebanon
50 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2005 : 8:51:58 PM
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I think the Lebanese people have heard enough analyses from the left and the right and the middle. Some of them are good ones, some of them are to vent frustration but very few with good proposals.
On this one, I respect reformist's analysis but I agree with eyad. we need practical solutions. |
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Reformist
20 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2005 : 01:36:37 AM
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Yes, we do propose a solution, which is very much in line with DemocracyInLebanon (which is why we have exchanged links).
The URL for ReformLebanon is www.reformlebanon.com, or alternatively you can find it in the "Links" section of DemocracyInLebanon.
Please read through the information posted on the site to receive insight into what we stand for and what we propose. You will find that we share many things with DemocracyInLebanon.
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The election joke
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