Press review 8-11-2013

Press review 8-11-2013
Now Lebanon
Rival parliamentary blocs
meet in Beirut
http://bit.ly/194A1Zg
BEIRUT - Parliamentarians representing two of the main rival parties on the
Lebanese political scene held a meeting at the parliament, the National
News Agency reported.
According to the report, Future bloc MPs and Free Patriotic Movement’s
Change and Reform MPs held a joint meeting on Thursday “for the first
time.”
Prior to the meeting Change and Reform MP Alain Aoun said that the move
was part of the “policy of openness adopted by the FPM vis-à-vis other
parliamentary blocs.”
“The aim is to organize the differences [between the two parties] and look
for ways to improve the workings of the parliament away from political
differences.”
In an interview with NOW, an unnamed Change and Reform MP said that
the meeting held between their bloc and Hezbollah officials earlier in the
day “should not be confused with the meeting with the Future bloc.”
“The meeting between the FPM and Hezbollah is part of the coordination
efforts between the two parties, whereas the meeting with the Future
Movement is a parliamentary meeting and is part of the [FPM’s] visits to
most political forces.”
Speaking following the meeting, Future bloc MP Atef Majdalani said that
the two sides stressed the importance of sidelining Lebanon from regional
and international conflicts, “especially what is taking place in Syria.”
“We highlighted the necessity of Hezbollah’s withdrawal from Syria,” he
added.
In turn, Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan said that his party
“will have its views on the issue of Hezbollah’s withdrawal from Syria.”
Newspapers reported earlier that a meeting between the two blocs was
planned to take place today. According to Future bloc MP Ammar Houri,
the meeting was scheduled following a request from the Change and
Reform bloc.
The Daily Star
FPM, Future ‘share some thoughts’ in rare meeting
http://bit.ly/1avnDln
By Wassim Mroueh
BEIRUT: Future Movement MPs and lawmakers from Michel Aoun’s
parliamentary bloc held an ice-breaking meeting Thursday, the first move of
its kind in years amid the prevailing political impasse in the country.
The meeting comes in light of a decision Aoun’s bloc made, during its
conclave last month, to hold meetings with MPs from various parties in the
country regardless of political differences in a bid to facilitate a resumption
of activity in the Parliament and other state institutions.
“We discussed a number of draft laws that we consider vital, strategic and
essential. ... During these discussions, views and solutions [to the crisis]
were proposed,” MP Ibrahim Kanaan, from Aoun’s Change and Reform
parliamentary bloc, told reporters after the meeting.
“We did not reach agreements over any issue, but there are efforts to reach
common ground and return to institutions. This does not mean that we do
not share some ideas,” he added. “We do not aim at reaching a bilateral
political agreement with the Future Movement.”
Future MP Atef Majdalani, who took part in the meeting, described the
discussions as positive, frank and serious.
“We [Future Movement MPs] stressed the need to energize institutions
through the formation of a responsible neutral Cabinet that addresses the
living needs of people,” he said.
He added that Future Movement lawmakers highlighted the need for all
political parties to adhere to the Baabda Declaration and for Hezbollah to
withdraw its fighters from Syria.
“We affirmed our commitment to the Constitution ... through the election of
a president,” he said. “We shared some thoughts ... and agreed on
continuing with more meetings.”
The Future bloc is boycotting legislative sessions that Speaker Nabih Berri
has been calling for since June, arguing that the Parliament should only
meet over urgent matters in the presence of a resigned government.
Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam has been unable to form a
Cabinet since his nomination in April.
Hezbollah and its March 8 allies maintain that a national unity government
in which all parties are represented based on their size in Parliament
should be formed.
But the Future Movement and other March 14 parties argue that an allembracing government can only be formed if Hezbollah withdraws its
fighters from Syria and adheres to the Baabda Declaration. The Future
Movement calls for forming a neutral government if those two conditions
are not met.
Earlier, a delegation from Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement visited
Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem in Beirut’s southern
suburbs.
The delegation was headed by Bassam Hashem, the movement’s official in
charge of relations with Lebanese and Palestinian factions.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Hashem highlighted the strong ties
between the FPM and Hezbollah.
Hashem said he understood Hezbollah’s “wait-and-see strategy in its
approach to some sensitive local issues, because of the circumstances it is
facing being targeted inside Lebanon and forced to participate in Syria’s
crisis.”
Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc dismissed the Future Movement’s
conditions over the Cabinet formation process as “meaningless” in a
statement after its weekly meeting.
“The conditions of the Future Movement are totally meaningless,
particularly because they are being made by a group also involved in the
bloody crisis in Syria and that is one of the tools conspiring against [Syria’s]
stability and role,” the statement said.
The bloc said the formation of an all-embracing government had become
more than necessary in light of recent developments in the country.Ahmad
Hariri, the secretary-general of the Future Movement, said the Future
Movement would not make concessions over Hezbollah’s arms, responding
to remarks made by Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad.
“[It is] necessary that Hezbollah realizes that accusations of treason and
threats to cut off hands will not make us surrender,” Hariri told a local
media outlet. “It [Hezbollah] did what it did in May 2008, and we did not
surrender to it or to its Syrian-Iranian plans.”
In a fiery speech Wednesday, Raad indirectly accused the Future
Movement of conspiring with Israel to deceive the resistance by providing
arms to Syrian rebels.
He added that Hezbollah had foiled this plan by driving rebels out of the
Syrian strategic town of Qusair in June.
“We have defended ourselves and our Lebanon as required. But beware
and do not force us to act in any way other than defensively,” Raad said.
“We will cut off the hand of whoever wants to target the Lebanese or make
Lebanon a consolation prize to anyone.”
Meanwhile, President Michel Sleiman highlighted again the importance of
adherence to the Baabda Declaration. He said that political choices in
Lebanon should not involve Lebanon in the “game of nations and their
conflicts, but distance it from the negative repercussions of conflicts of axes
and states.”
“This is the Baabda Declaration which was unanimously approved and was
adopted by the highest ranking international organizations,” Sleiman said.
Political money soils LAU elections
http://bit.ly/194AYB0
By Doha Adi, Ilija Trojanovic
BEIRUT: As Lebanese American University heads to the polls Friday to
elect a student government, sources close to the campaigns confirmed that
many groups on campus receive prohibited financial support from external
political parties. This year’s elections, like those at most universities in
Lebanon, mirror the national political climate, pitting March 8 against March
14. Campaign corruption appears to be rampant on both sides, according
to student organizers.
One student affiliated with the Lebanese Forces estimated that the party
had spent $6,000 on students’ campaigns through cash, supplies and
phone credit. The source said this was common practice among politically
affiliated student groups and the amount spent was average.
A student organizer from the Amal Movement said that candidates affiliated
with political parties receive not only moral and logistical support, but also
financial support to cover the expenses of the campaigns.
Several candidates backed by the rival parties confirmed that they had
received money from external political groups. They declined to be named
in print or reveal more details about the source of their funding.
Some partisans who spoke to The Daily Star insisted that as long as the
support was not cash, it was limited to “logistical support” and was
therefore within the bylaws of the university.
“We do not fund candidates or movements, not in universities and not even
outside,” said Youssef Daibes, the Progressive Socialist Party liaison to
private universities.
“We help them logistically with the phone calls, laptops to use for
campaigning and other minor things, but the rest are the students’
responsibilities,” he said. “They get the money from funding specified for
university clubs or from fundraisers done under the name of clubs.”
These “logistics,” however, can range from covering phone calls to offices
and laptops, all of which amount to a substantial contribution.
University rules dictate that all candidates be granted equal time to
campaign. They also oblige the university to provide a public forum for all
candidates, as well as the basic supplies such as booths and posters for
the students’ campaigns, with the intention of ensuring a fair race. Despite
this fact, the huge gap in resources is apparent in the various campaigns.
Some campaigns had sleek brochures and trinkets, while other students
had printed their platforms on plain printer paper.
Campaigning officially started last week, allowing candidates to hang
posters, distribute preapproved fliers and discuss their platforms with their
fellow students.
Administrators neither confirm nor deny illicit funding is taking place, but
measures are in place to monitor expenditures by student clubs.
Riman Jurdak, senior program coordinator in LAU, said that all club
expenses were documented and approved. The school does not, however,
request receipts for approved materials supplied by students.
The students of LAU will vote for the members of the University Student
Council Friday, with results expected to be announced later in the evening.
The Beirut and Byblos campuses have separate student councils with 15
members each. This year, the members will be elected from 27 candidates
in Beirut and 25 hopefuls in Byblos.
Earlier this week, the American University of Beirut held elections, where
the growing number of independents emerged as kingmakers in a student
government split between March 8 with eight seats and March 14 with 6.
The rise of independents in recent years has been attributed to growing
weariness with national politics.
L’Orient Le Jour
À la recherche d’une sortie de crise libano-libanaise
http://bit.ly/1abHBF8
À l’initiative du Courant patriotique libre (CPL), qui affirme chercher « une
solution libano-libanaise » à la crise interne, une réunion a regroupé hier,
au Parlement, des députés des blocs du Futur et du Changement et de la
Réforme. Objectif : dégager des « dénominateurs communs » et empêcher
les institutions d’être totalement paralysées par la crise régionale.
Les députés Atef Majdalani, Jean Oghassabian, Jamal Jarrah et Ghazi
Youssef ont représenté le courant du Futur, alors qu’Ibrahim Kanaan, Alain
Aoun, Ziad Assouad et Simon Abiramia ont représenté le CPL.
« Un gouvernement neutre loin des zizanies et divergences politiques,
orienté vers les besoins économiques, sociaux et sécuritaires des Libanais
». C’est ce que le courant du Futur a dit avoir réclamé, dans un court
mémorandum résumant les entretiens de deux heures qu’il venait d’avoir
avec le CPL.
Dans le mémorandum, lu par Atef Majdalani, le Futur a indiqué que cette
rencontre avait été « franche, positive et sérieuse » et qu’elle pavait la voie
« à des dénominateurs communs, dans l’intérêt du Liban et des Libanais ».
Les autres points de ce mémoire sont : Baabda, instance de recours
nationale ; retrait du Hezbollah de Syrie, son engagement ayant entraîné,
par contagion, le feu syrien à l’intérieur du Liban ; respect des échéances
constitutionnelles, en particulier celle de l’élection d’un nouveau président
de la République dans les délais constitutionnels.
En revanche, l’élaboration d’une nouvelle loi électorale semble avoir été
absente des entretiens.
Le Parlement et Kanaan
Au nom du CPL, M. Ibrahim Kanaan, à son tour, a souhaité que, pour une
fois, « une décision libanaise sans ingérence extérieure » soit prise, pour
sortir le Liban de l’ornière législative. M. Kanaan a tenu à rappeler que « la
rencontre résulte d’une initiative du CPL, dans son ouverture aux autres
blocs parlementaires, conformément aux recommandations issues du huis
clos du Changement et de la Réforme à Deir el-Kalaa, le 11 octobre 2013,
et selon les instructions du général Michel Aoun ».
Il a ajouté que cette initiative repose sur la nécessité de dynamiser le rôle
des institutions constitutionnelles, à commencer par le Parlement.
Selon M. Kanaan, les discussions ont notamment porté sur l’importance de
séparer les dossiers d’importance nationale de la crise syrienne.
« Nous sommes hostiles à tout projet de prorogation au sein des
institutions, a-t-il enchaîné. Nous craignons qu’à présent, après tout ce qui
s’est passé, le vide n’atteigne l’échéance de la présidence de la
République. »
Réforme financière, réforme administrative, distribution des recettes du
Trésor dues aux municipalités, rejet de toutes les formes d’extrémisme
religieux, dialogue direct étaient par ailleurs d’autres têtes de chapitre des
entretiens.
« Containement »
« Je peux affirmer que nous ne nous sommes entendus sur aucun sujet au
cours de cette rencontre, mais nous cherchons à atteindre ces
dénominateurs communs », a osé dire M. Kanaan, d’une voix de stentor. «
Cela ne veut pas dire que nous n’approuvons pas certains points avancés
par nos collègues du Futur et vice-versa, ni que nos réunions vont aboutir à
un accord politique bilatéral. Notre objectif est de communiquer avec les
autres blocs et à travailler ensemble pour immuniser notre pays et le
protéger », a-t-il ajouté. En somme, une politique de « containement » des
différends politique qui opposent le Futur et le CPL, en attendant un projet
national commun.
Le chef du parti des Forces libanaises, Samir Geagea, qui a reçu hier, pour
deux heures de temps, le coordonnateur du secrétariat général des forces
du 14 Mars, Farès Souhaid, a jugé « bon » le rapprochement formel entre
les blocs du Futur et du Changement et de la Réforme.
Pour M. Geagea, si le député Mohammad Raad a été si féroce avec le
courant du Futur, « c’est parce qu’il a réalisé que son principal allié du 8
Mars a décidé de s’ouvrir sur les différentes parties ».
De son côté, le député Samir el-Jisr a affirmé que « ce dialogue, s’il prend
un cours positif et normal, permettrait d’apaiser les craintes qui subsistent
depuis 2006 ». M. Jisr a ensuite abordé le sujet du blocage des séances
législatives, expliquant que le boycott par le Futur des séances
convoquées par le président de la Chambre des députés découlent du
respect de la Constitution, « laquelle interdit de légiférer en présence d’un
gouvernement démissionnaire, sauf nécessité ».
« Notre position devrait inciter à accélérer la formation du gouvernement et
ce serait bien si notre rencontre avec le CPL permettait d’atteindre ce but
», a-t-il souligné, rappelant que « le Futur n’est pas le seul à boycotter les
séances ».
Sleiman martèle l’urgente application de la déclaration de Baabda
http://bit.ly/HEsE4Q
« Il faut que nos choix politiques aillent tous dans le sens de la déclaration
de Baabda. Elle a été adoptée à l’unanimité et les plus hautes instances
internationales l’ont saluée. Grâce à cette déclaration, notre politique
étrangère retrouverait toute son efficacité d’avant ; les investissements se
multiplieraient et le tourisme prospérerait. Il faudrait éviter d’entraîner le
Liban dans les conflits voisins et travailler à mettre en place un plan de
développement équitable, et à adopter une stratégie de défense unique
pour empêcher toute violation de la souveraineté libanaise sous n’importe
quelle forme, y compris l’espionnage... »
Cet appel, c’est le chef de l’État Michel Sleiman qui l’a lancé une nouvelle
fois hier du palais de Baabda au cours du lancement d’un programme
visant à éradiquer le travail des enfants (lire en page 4). « Le Parlement
devrait rapidement voter les lois en suspens et adopter la nouvelle grille
des salaires », a-t-il encore dit.