Aoun Accuses LF, Phalange of Unfairly Treating Christians, Receiving Funds to Gain Power
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun accused the Mustaqbal Movement and its allies of “oppressing” Christian factions in Lebanon through their practices over the parliamentary electoral law.
He said after the Change and Reform bloc's weekly meeting: “Its allies, the Lebanese Forces and Phalange Party, are unjustly treating other Christian powers in Lebanon.”
He also accused the LF and Phalange Party of receiving funds “in the hope of obtaining illusory power.”
“Who is responsible for the oppression exercised by the Mustaqbal Movement and its allies?” he wondered.
“These two parties should be held accountable for allowing their allies to get away with this oppression,” stressed Aoun.
Commenting on claims that he may launch a campaign to boycott the parliamentary elections should the 1960s law be adopted, he replied: “Oppression could incur results that are worse than a boycott.”
Furthermore, the FPM leader accused the March 14-led opposition of deliberately boycotting parliament and government-related activity in order to thwart an agreement on a new parliamentary electoral law.
“We will not allow anyone to convince Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to agree to the 1960s electoral law,” he added.
An amended version of the 1960s law was adopted during the 2009 parliamentary elections.
The government recently approved an electoral draft law based on proportional representation and 13 electoral districts.
The opposition and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat rejected the law, saying that it does not offer just representation.
Asked to comment on Jumblat's recent initiative aimed at ending the political crisis in Lebanon, Aoun responded that he will take a position on the issue after holding talks on Friday with a PSP delegation.
The delegation had been holding talks with a number of political forces on Jumblat's initiative, which focuses on the need for the return of all political powers to dialogue, ending any boycott, and halting the tense media exchanges between the rival factions.
He called on all officials on Monday to abide by the Baabda Declaration - made in June after the first national dialogue in over 18 months - in which rival political leaders pledged to commit themselves to dialogue and political, security and media pacification, avoid speeches that fuel sectarian incitement and bolster stability to prevent Lebanon from sliding into sectarian strife.
Source: Naharnet
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