Aoun Rejects Elections Based on 1960 Law: Claims Orthodox Proposal is Unconstitutional are Heresy
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun announced on Tuesday his commitment to holding the parliamentary elections on time.
He added however that he opposes staging them according to the amended version of the 1960 law that was adopted during the last elections, held in 2009.
He made his remarks after the Change and Reform bloc's weekly meeting at Rabieh.
Moreover, he deemed all claims that the Orthodox Gathering electoral law unconstitutional as heresy and “an attempt to usurp the rights of Christians.”
“The call on electoral bodies to the parliamentary elections based on the 1960 law is acceptable had those who made the call not been opposed to this law,” Aoun said.
He made his comment in reference to President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati's signing of a decree on Monday calling on the bodies to the polls based on the old law.
The president and premier made decisions that they are not entitled to make, added Aoun.
“We consider their action a form of blackmail and an attempt to pressure the constitutional council to reject the Orthodox Gathering proposal,” he noted.
Suleiman and Miqati had repeatedly rejected the Orthodox Gathering law, with the latter saying that it will not be approved at parliament, let alone the constitutional council.
“We do not fear the 1960 law, even if we are opposed to it,” continued the FPM leader.
“I oppose extending the term of the current parliament,” he stated.
“Is dissolving the constitutional council acceptable? Is usurping the rights of Christians constitutional?” he wondered.
“Are the repeated attacks against the army acceptable? Is blocking roads part of coexistence? Is the smuggling of arms from Lebanese ports to our neighbors a sign of respect to treaties with these countries and the Arab League?” Aoun asked.
“Is distancing ourselves from Akkar, Tripoli, and the Bekaa town of Arsal a form of imposing Lebanon's sovereignty and independence?” continued the MP.
Furthermore, he accused the Mustaqbal Movement and March 14 forces of obstructing legislative work in Lebanon, declaring: “They have deprived us of our rights and they are now blackmailing each other through dirty sectarian dealings.”
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05 March 2013, 17:15
Aoun: I support holding the elections on time and oppose extending the term of the current parliament.
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05 March 2013, 17:14
Aoun: Boycotting the parliament session to vote on a new electoral law is the greatest violation of national principles.
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05 March 2013, 17:13
Aoun: Is takfiri thinking acceptable?
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05 March 2013, 17:13
Aoun: Does distancing ourselves from certain regions such as Tripoli and Arsal contribute to the country’s sovereignty?
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05 March 2013, 17:12
Aoun: Is blocking roads and humoring criminals part of coexistence?
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05 March 2013, 17:11
Aoun: Is the usurping of the rights of Christians constitutional?
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05 March 2013, 17:09
Aoun: The 1996 law was the greatest fraud and it was devised for the sake of MP Walid Jumblat.
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05 March 2013, 17:09
Aoun: The constitution stipulates that we are entitled to 64 MPs.
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05 March 2013, 17:08
Aoun: We don't fear the 1960 law even if we reject it. We are saying that we will not hold the elections based on this law. Any law that respects the constitution is legal.
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05 March 2013, 17:08
Aoun: President Suleiman and PM Miqati made orders that they are not entitled to.
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05 March 2013, 17:06
Aoun: We support holding the election on time and we don't need to be reminded of this by the U.S. or French Ambassadors.
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05 March 2013, 17:05
Aoun: We consider their call a form of blackmail and they are trying to pressure the constitutional council to reject the Orthodox Gathering law.
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05 March 2013, 17:04
FPM leader MP Michel Aoun after Change and Reform bloc's weekly meeting: It would have been acceptable for the president and premier to call the electoral bodies to the elections had the two officials not rejected the 1960 law.
05 March 2013, 17:19
117
"The constitution stipulates that we are entitled to 64 MPs."
Apparently, Christian MPs that are voted in by non-Christian voters are do not count as Christian MPs.
That is as sectarian as one could get.
05 March 2013, 18:11
910
Aoun did not hesitate to destroy the Christians in Lebanon before. He set his sight higher now and he may destroy Lebanon.
05 March 2013, 18:14
96
He reminds me of the words of that famous lebanese poet killed by pro-iran elements in lebanon:
فقد طمى الخطب حتى غاصت الركبُ
05 March 2013, 19:09
55
Aoun is the manifestation of christian extremism. Chiite extrimism is men in black shirts. Sunnite extremism is armed cheikhs inciting strife. Christian extremism is michel aoun.
Hold the extremists from the moslem side, christians will no be interested in aoun anymore.
05 March 2013, 17:22
1210
aoun is the promoter of sectarianism on behalf of hizbushaitan, who are the extremist shia.
for his information neither takfiri nor shia extremism is acceptable.
this is a country that runs on consensus not by dictate from aoun and hizbushaitan.
05 March 2013, 18:08
108
typical from a real sectarian nobody like you.
kindly clarify why you tag me as a takfiri? is it because we have different opinions, or because I expose the shia extremism?
you do not seen to be able to accept the reality of things so you just accuse anybody who differs in opinion with you as a salafi, takfiri, Israeli, ....
you are pathetic!
05 March 2013, 18:12
87
Is it another Tueasday already??? the clown is on... more beer please...no nuts...
05 March 2013, 19:03
45
Everyone should know by now that he says whatever suits him at the present--he has no moral fiber or backbone for that matter and will flip flop frequently on any positions as needed to deem himself relevant.
At least Nasralla has principles, as misguided as they may be--Aoun's, OTOH, can't be defined.
05 March 2013, 19:17
53
when you have an armed milicia running the country amongst the chiites and when you have armed alchoholic cheikhs inciting strife amongst the sunnites, you get christian extremism too. Christian extremism is called Michel Aoun. The sunnites have marginalized christians so much for so long that the michel aoun phenomenon was created. Give back some of what was taken from christians, and noone will follow Michel Aoun anymore.
05 March 2013, 20:00
46
@the_roar
Problem with your statement is that we are not looking for Christian representatives, we are looking for Lebanese representatives. Enough with your sectarian and divisive politics.
05 March 2013, 20:32
25
Well well FT, seems like now that I disagree with you on a topic you start asking me to wake up. Disappointed of you.
I thought by now you should know I am quite critical of Mustaqbal. You should shy away from the mentality that if I criticize one side, it necessarily means that I am with the other.
What I mean by we is all of Lebanon, the Lebanese, we should not be looking for sectarian representatives, but national ones. Read carefully - I did not say anything about Mustaqbal being a secular party and standing up for secularism.
You can disagree with me on the issue of confessionalism, but asking me to wake up because you disagree with me does little to enhance the value of your opinion.
05 March 2013, 21:38
14
@FT
I was simply responding to the_roar's wishes to have a Christian representative. I don't like it when Lebanese citizens wish to have a representative for their sect, we should all be working for Lebanese representatives.
As for your claim that Aoun wants a secular state, if you said that in 2009 I would've agreed. That is why I voted for FPM back then and preferred them over the other major Christian parties (LF, Kataeb). Now however, Aoun sounds more sectarian than everybody else. He is with this sectarian Orthodox Law, and prefers that over any other law (including those that have no confessional quotas, such as the single-district PR law Sayyed Hassan suggested last time).
05 March 2013, 21:39
14
@FT
Note, I am not discussing Mustaqbal right now. No I don't fall for their supposed secularism. What I am discussing is my deep disappointment in Aoun for abandoning the principle of secularism in Lebanon.
05 March 2013, 20:09
25
@starsky
My feelings too. Support any group that espouses rights of the individual, freedom of speech, secular and inclusive democratic values and preaches abiding by the constitution and laws and to effect any political or legal change via non-violent due process.
I think @anonymetexasusa's post infers similar sentiments in a slightly different way.
BTW @starsky, just wondering why you do not avail yourself of the reply option when replying to a post? I think it makes following comments trail easier and was curious why you choose not to do it that way.
05 March 2013, 21:11
65
Aoun is boring... Going to play the Simpsons: Tapped Out. At least, this is constructive (:
05 March 2013, 21:13
64
you re wrong FT: he is just pointing out the stupidity of the man you are in love with....and it seems to annoy you each time one criticizes your senile leader....
05 March 2013, 23:06
33
"
Does distancing ourselves from certain regions such as Tripoli and Arsal contribute to the country’s sovereignty?
Is blocking roads and humoring criminals part of coexistence? "
look how STUPID this man is... while he did THE SAME things with his allies: blocking roads, blocking the parliament, letting dahiye be ruled by one party and not the police forces... he is lecturing others!!!
hypocrisy at its best with orangina!!!!
05 March 2013, 23:19
34
change yuor robotic posts or can t you do any better with your limited IQ ?
06 March 2013, 00:18
11
Thank you Brucie you for you candor and for explaining to us all and specially the Aounists the real reason behind the filthy Iranian revolutionary guards in Lebanon wanting the exclusive right to keep the weapons. It's not to protect Lebanon as the sewer dueler claims but rather to step on the Christians and the Sunnis.
NB: if the Christians were "stepping on Sunnis" how did the Cairo 1969 agreement happen, wasn't it the result of Rachid Karame refusing to convene the government in 1968, and if the Christians were "stepping on Sunnis" why wasn't Suleiman Frangieh able to deploy the Lebanese army in 1975?
