Mustaqbal Holds Vote to Elect General Conference Delegates
Al-Mustaqbal Movement was on Sunday holding an internal vote across Lebanon to elect delegates to the movement's general conference that will be held on November 26 and 27.
Members will case votes to elect 1,168 delegates between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm at the movement's departments in the various regions and at the BIEL complex in Beirut, al-Mustaqbal newspaper said.
“This is a democratic day par excellence for al-Mustaqbal Movement and we wish everyone success,” said Mustaqbal leader ex-PM Saad Hariri after casting his vote at BIEL.
In remarks to al-Mustaqbal newspaper, the movement's secretary-general Ahmed Hariri said: “We acknowledge that this first stage might not encompass everyone and might be marred by several flaws and remarks, but this is the first step on a course we have taken so that al-Mustaqbal Movement can be a movement for all people.”
Ex-PM Hariri had pledged in June to conduct a “critical internal reevaluation” in al-Mustaqbal in light of the results of May's municipal polls.
“I will not pin the responsibility on anyone and I will not absolve myself and those with me of the responsibility. I'm in charge of drawing lessons from the polls' outcome, I'm at the top of al-Mustaqbal movement's political hierarchy, and I will digest the results no matter how hard they may be,” Hariri said at the time.
A preparatory committee was later tasked with drafting a political manifesto and an organizational report.
Hariri has expressed hope that the conference will represent “a new, constructive chance in addressing the aspirations of the popular base, especially youths and women.”
Apparently referring to Mustaqbal minister-turned-electoral rival Ashraf Rifi, who was accused of using a sectarian rhetoric to win Tripoli's municipal vote, Hariri said in June: “Politics in Lebanon has tried to give me lessons in lying, maneuvering, incitement and the manipulation of people's sentiments, but my upbringing taught me to be honest, frank and loyal, even if that comes at my expense.”
Addressing al-Mustaqbal, Rifi had called after the May polls for “rectifying the course and endorsing policies that take the opinion of the Sunni community into consideration in order to avoid its descent towards extremism.”
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