Phalange Calls Arsal Residents to Cooperate with Army: We Reject Consensual Security
Phalange Party stated on Monday its rejection of consensual security and of the concept of security zones, demanding the prosecution of all attackers targeting the Lebanese army.
"We call on the residents of (the Bekaa town of) Arsal to cooperate with the military institution,” said a statement released by the political bureau after its weekly meeting, urging them to disown the perpetrators and hand them over to the security forces.
"The army remains above all classifications and divisions in the country,” it expressed.
The army arrested several residents of Arsal on Saturday a day after two soldiers were killed when gunmen ambushed a military patrol, the National News Agency reported.
An army communique had said Friday that a patrol was ambushed by Arsal gunmen as it was hunting a man wanted for several terrorist acts.
The clashes that ensued left an officer with the rank of captain, Pierre Bashaalani, and Sergeant Ibrahim Zahraman dead, and several military personnel wounded.
The Phalange's statement reiterated the party's three requirements for reaching an accord on an electoral law, saying that it must assure just representation of religious communities and equal power-sharing, and it should be supported by most political factions in the country and responsive to their concerns.
It remarked: "The elections must also be held on time”.
"Constitutional deadlines are approaching and as such, we call for reaching an accord on an electoral law that would allow for developing a new political formula,” the politburo said.
An electoral subcommittee has been studying for the past few weeks various draft law proposals and the talks are currently focused on a suggestion that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.
The bureau also condemned stripping MP Butros Harb of his parliamentary immunity: “We do not understand how the person who has been attacked gets his immunity lifted while the offender is free without any penalization”.
General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi demanded on Monday to strip MP Butros Harb of his parliamentary immunity over remarks he made on the judiciary and President Michel Suleiman after Mahmoud Hayek was charged with the attempt on his life.
The state-run National News Agency reported that Madi handed over to Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi a request to refer a demand to the parliament to lift immunity off Harb in order for him to be prosecuted over insulting the president and accusing the judiciary of plotting a conspiracy against him.
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