Press review 6-11-2013

Press review 7-11-2013
The Daily Star
Amid tight security, AUB votes for student representatives
http://bit.ly/1bXv73p
By Elise Knutsen, Ilija Trojanovic
BEIRUT: A hapless Crepeaway deliveryman stood outside an entrance
gate at the American University of Beirut, unable to enter. Security guards
and the army were enforcing Monday a strict no-visitor policy on AUB's
campus as voting for student elections takes place.
Student elections at AUB have typically been divisive. While political parties
are technically not allowed to maintain on-campus groups, student clubs
are often aligned with either the March 8 or March 14 political camps.
Observers, both on campus and elsewhere, waited eagerly the results of
the elections.
"Historically, AUB's election has been a signal of where the nation is
going," explained Dr. Jad Melki, a professor of journalism and media
studies at the university.
"Every political party wants to prove that they have the students," he said.
Many of the elected student representatives will go on to careers in politics.
"A lot of them do occupy political positions eventually in government or in
these political groups," Melki said.
Since the early morning, students have been congregating in front of West
Hall, the University's main administrative building. With campus security
officers surveying the scene, different clubs pass out flyers with the names
of their candidates.
One of the larger clubs, Students at Work, is widely considered to be
aligned with March 14. "We don’t want to get AUB into politics," insisted
Samer Jabar, a current student. A litany of campus-based issues
dominates their agenda, he said.
One student passing out flyer for another club, Students for Change,
admitted most of the members supported March 8.
Several students said they "just knew" which political party a candidate
supported. Asked to clarify, they identified family names as a key
identifying factor.
Some students are running as independents. Many independents,
however, have couched political agendas, students explained.
"Everyone is affiliated," lamented Freshman Rayan Baidoun.
Others profess unabashed personal ambition.
"It will benefit me for my CV," said one female candidate as she perused a
list of mobile-phone numbers.
Several students reported receiving repetitive phone calls and SMS
messages asking them to vote for a certain party.
Other claimed some students said they had been followed around campus
"harassed" by partisans.
After several security guards speaking to The Daily Star highlighted AUB
for "never having problems like other universities," a scuffle broke out at the
Faculty of Arts and Sciences voting section between members of the
opposing political blocs.
"Someone from Students for Change harassed a voter by snatching their
candidate list because they wouldn't be voting for them. We agreed
beforehand that this should not occur but it seems the guys from March 8
broke our verbal agreement" said Nader Zeidan, former president of the
Future Party sympathizing Youth Club.
Despite the differences, all club members involved in elections are
agreeing that voter turnout this year is remarkably low. Some faculties
which already have a history of low voter turnout - like the Olayan School of
Business - were virtually empty, with only the various clubs' workhorses
waiting to entice students on their way to class to vote.
ESCWA launches manual for democracies
http://bit.ly/1ar1CUM
BEIRUT: The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Western Asia launched Tuesday a manual about building partnerships in
democratic governments.
The manual was launched in the presence of representatives chosen from
government associations, civil society organizations, academic institutions,
U.N. agencies and other regional and local organizations.
Representatives of development projects across the region participated in
discussions over the manual.
Head of the department for Social Development Through Partnership in
ESCWA, Maha Yehia, said the manual “reflects the importance of the
pivotal role played by civil society in determining the national and regional
priorities for the next stage.”
She also said that the manual’s release came at an opportune time. “In
light of the developments in the region, Arab civil society faces essential
challenges … and confronting rising threats in the march toward
establishing democratic systems that serve Arab citizens.”
Independents emerge as kingmakers in AUB polls
http://bit.ly/1aEhJEy
By Elise Knutsen, Ilija Trojanovic
BEIRUT: March 8 forces appeared set to maintain a slim edge in the
American University of Beirut’s 18-member University Student Faculty
Committee, winning eight of the seats in student elections held Tuesday.
March 14 won six seats, while independents took the remaining four.One
USFC representative who was elected on a March 8th platform insisted
after the polls that he was in fact an independent.
With neither side winning a clearcut majority, the independents have
emerged as kingmakers in the committee, whose members will later elect
its president.
AUB said 8,000 students took part in the polls.
Officially, political parties are not allowed to maintain a presence on AUB’s
campus. Student clubs, however, have well-known political allegiances,
and have largely divided themselves into to two rival blocs, Students at
Work and Students for Change.
March 14th supporters flocked predominantly to Students at Work, while
March 8th partisans backed Students for Change.
It remained unclear whether Students for Change or Students at Work won
the majority of the 109-seat Student Representative Committee. Many
candidates campaigned as independents but hid their true affiliations,
several students and faculty members claimed.
The chants, scarves and party paraphernalia the rival blocs displayed
Tuesday evening as the election results were read clearly reflected
Lebanon’s political arenas. Hezbollah, Amal, Free Patriotic Movement,
Progressive Socialist Party and Syrian Social Nationalist Party supporters
congregated on the East side of the courtyard wearing black scarves,
orange vests and bright yellow bibs. On the West side, Future Movement,
Lebanese Forces and other parties showed support with red vests.
The Independent Secular Club avoided the March 8 versus March 14 fray,
sitting off to the side away from the projector screens.
The PSP’s support for Students for Change was said to have tipped the
balance in favor of the bloc.
Echoing the independents’ call to separate AUB student government from
national politics, Dean of Student Affairs Talal Nizameddin said that while
important, the elections should be considered a campus project. “It’s not
going to liberate Palestine or change the course of events in Syria.”
Nizameddin, however, said the exercise in democracy was an important
one. “I’m one of those people who’s not afraid of politics,” he said. “It’s
good they [the students] should have political viewpoints. You’re with
Hezbollah. Great, argue your point. You’re against Hezbollah, great. Let’s
discuss it. But if you’re not going not have this discussion on campus where
else are you going to have it?”
In front of his office in the collegiate West Hall building, two massive
projectors bisected the main thoroughfare on campus. The two blocs
chanted the nicknames of famed Lebanese politicians, including Abu
Taymour, Abu Hadi, Abu Bahaa. However, chanting was not confined to
Lebanese politics, but ran as far afield as the crisis in Syria, with Students
for Change cheering President Bashar Assad and Students at Work rallying
the revolution.
As in years past, all three USFC seats allocated to the The Olayan School
of Business were taken by Students at Work. According to partisans, the
Lebanon Mission Club, whose allegiance to Amal was betrayed by their
green scarves and their chants in support of Speaker Nabih Berri, took the
USFC seat in the Faculty of the Engineering and Architecture, winning the
seat back from Students at Work.
The Independent Secular Club snatched three USFC seats, more than they
have in recent years.
“I still cannot believe it,” said Tala Kammourieh. “What set us apart was
that we convinced people personally. There are some independents who
aren’t really independent and our aim was to convince people that we
[Secular Club] are really independent, which we are,” she said.
Nizameddin was confident that independent candidates would continue to
have more voice in student government.
While tensions remained high as the results were read, many students said
the partisanship would be short lived.
Karim al-Ahmad, a supporter of Students at Work, remained positive after
the victory of his team at the OSB and praised the synergy created by
teamwork.
“We and the opposing side, this is the only time we were divided on
campus,” said Mazen Assi, an Amal supporter. “Tomorrow you’ll see us
with our friends.”
Rai calls on Christians to play active role in nation
http://bit.ly/1870c1V
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai reiterated his call Tuesday to
Christians not to remain passive and play a mediating role in the country.
He said Christians needed to be more assertive to play an active role in
solving the Cabinet crisis, voting on a new electoral law and preparing for
the presidential elections.
Rai made the comments before leaving for the Vatican on a three-day visit
to participate in the General Assembly of the Supreme Court of the Holy
See.
“When Christians meet, they do so to say to both the Arab and Islamic
world that we live together and we want to stay the course and move our
countries forward, and not toward wars and violence,” Rai said.
Sleiman: Judges must deter terrorist acts
http://bit.ly/17LSRsc
BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman stressed Tuesday that judges need to
be fearless in their practice, as the nation needs fair and firm judicial
processes to deter acts of terrorism, such as those that targeted the Beirut
southern suburbs and Tripoli this year. “What we need most today are fair
and firm rulings against those who planned and committed assassination
attacks and massacres in the southern suburbs and in Tripoli,” Sleiman
said during an event to mark the golden jubilee celebration of the Judicial
Institute at the Judicial Palace in the Beirut neighborhood of Mathaf.
“Preserving our democratic regime is done only with unity and
perseverance to continue with the [National Pact] that we agreed on, and
our coexistence, that still serves as a model for other communities and
nations,” he added.
The celebration was attended by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati,
Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam, caretaker Justice Minister
Shakib Qortbawi and former Speaker Hussein Husseini.
In his speech, Sleiman addressed the judges and told them not to “let fear
get into your hearts and prevent you from making the right decisions” while
warning against nepotism.
“Why are you afraid?” Sleiman asked the judges. “Don’t be, for you make
your rules in the name of the Lebanese people and you should not pair
politics with your rulings.”
He said the judiciary was the “pillar of the democratic system,” and called
on politicians “not to demolish this system by boycotting the Parliament
sessions, blocking the formation of the Cabinet and the quorum of the
Constitutional Council, or maybe, God forbid, blocking a quorum in the
Parliament session to elect a new president for the country.”
“We celebrate the golden jubilee of this institute while we face decisive
challenges, for what is happening in Syria for over two years that has
resulted in the unprecedented flow of Syrian refugees is taking its toll on
our nation by exacerbating pre-existing security, social and economic
crises, and we can’t reduce its effects unless we cling to unity and civil
peace and commit to the Baabda Declaration, Article 6 of which calls for
supporting the judicial body,” Sleiman said.
“Sooner or later the transitional phase in the region will end and dialogue
will prevail and it’s better if we spare ourselves the costs of absurd conflicts
and sit together today willingly and reach a solution in advance to limit the
damages,” the president added.
In his speech, Qortbawi admitted there were “problems in the judiciary” but
said solutions to the problems were being carried out.
“During the last two years, the judicial body has carried out an
unprecedented number of efforts to purify itself” from corruption and
ignorance, he said.
“The percentage of judges referred to the Disciplinary Council has
increased by 400 percent, in addition to a number of judges that were
dismissed during this period that is equivalent to the sum of dismissed
judges in the past 20 years,” Qortbawi said.
He addressed the judges saying: “Keep your independence and
impartiality, the politicians have their own interests but you also have yours,
which is preserving your dignity and the sanctity of your oath.”
Head of the Higher Judiciary Council Jean Fahed called on the president
and the top politicians to “increase their cooperation to make the judicial
revival a success.”
“We are convinced that the judiciary will carry out its role fully, and spread
ultimate justice and solidify the rule of law ... rising as a distinct authority to
integrate legislative and executive powers.”
FPM-Future meet Thursday in attempt to ease deadlock
http://bit.ly/1ejjOY8
By Dana Khraiche
BEIRUT: Longtime rivals the Future Movement and the Free Patriotic
Movement will meet Thursday and attempt to find common ground, a
development that could ease the nation’s stifling political impasse.
The meeting will be the first of its kind since 2005 and is part of an FPM
initiative to open up to various political groups, beginning last year with two
rare meetings held with the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party.
“As a parliamentary bloc, we have decided to separate politics and
competition from legislative work in order to prioritize and resolve the
issues at hand, particularly those related to the daily life of citizens,”
Change and Reform bloc MP Simon Abi Ramia told The Daily Star
Tuesday.
The meeting is a preliminary one that, if successful, might lay the
groundwork for direct talks between the Future bloc and the FPM, Abi
Ramia said, adding that there was no fixed agenda for the talks.
“We seek to work as parliamentary blocs and focus on reviving the work of
the Parliament, after we reach an understanding on the proposed draft
laws,” he added, insisting that his party’s initiative had no political motive.
He said such attempts to revive state institutions were needed because the
government was in caretaker status, and the influx of thousands of
refugees into Lebanon was exacerbating an already tense environment.
The Future Movement has boycotted Parliament sessions, arguing that the
legislative branch should only convene for urgent matters in the presence
of a resigned Cabinet.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati suggested in remarks published
Tuesday that a committee would be created to discuss the legality of
convening Parliament in the presence of a caretaker government.
The Future Movement and the FPM have rarely seen eye to eye over a
number of key issues, such as the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is
probing the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Hezbollah’s
arsenal, the transfer of telecommunications data to security agencies, the
electoral law, and most recently the crisis in Syria.
Abi Ramia was cautious when asked whether he believed the meeting
would yield positive results, saying: “I don’t want to be too ambitious, but it
deserves a chance.”
In 2005, following the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and the
return of former Gen. Michel Aoun, the FPM and Future were part of a
larger coalition.
The coalition soon collapsed and divisions between parties became stark,
especially after Aoun signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
Hezbollah, breaking his alliance with the March 14 group, led by the head
of the Future Movement and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
Future MPs said Tuesday they would attend the meeting based on their
party’s principles, but MP Ahmad Fatfat had reservations about Thursday’s
talks.
“They took this initiative and this meeting will allow us to test the waters
and exchange viewpoints over various issues,” Fatfat said.
The MP maintained that the party has certain principles that are
nonnegotiable, particularly the international tribunal, Hezbollah’s arms and
the resistance group’s interference in Syria.
“Let’s say they repeat their opposition to the tribunal and say they don’t
recognize it. Well, this is something we cannot accept,” Fatfat said.
“We are a side that believes in dialogue but we do have our principles,” he
added.
Asked whether such a meeting was part of the rapprochement between
Aoun and Saudi Arabia, Fatfat said: “Not at all, because we were the last
party that the Free Patriotic Movement approached for dialogue.”
The FPM’s openness comes after Aoun disputed with his allies in the
March 8 coalition, mainly Speaker Nabih Berri, over Parliament’s recent
mandate extension and that of Army Gen. Jean Kahwagi’s term. These are
two issues the FPM staunchly opposed.
Future MP Kazem al-Kheir said his party responded well to FPM’s request.
“We will head to the meeting with hope of finding some common ground,”
Kheir said.
Speaking after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting, MP Ibrahim
Kanaan said the proposed dialogue with the political groups including the
Future bloc was aimed at reaching an understanding on the national level.
“We should not tie our problems, the rights of citizens, the state and its
institution with the crisis in Syria,” Kanaan told reporters in Rabieh, Aoun’s
residence.
“What would we do with the Parliament and the government if the crisis
continues for years?” he asked.
He invited the Future Movement to discuss the Parliament sessions, a
means to form a new government and the presidential election due next
year.
Mikati calls on Berri to convene session
http://bit.ly/1cDDeqG
By Wassim Mroueh
BEIRUT: A source close to Speaker Nabih Berri was suspicious Tuesday of
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s call to convene a Parliament
session to clearly specify what tasks a caretaker Cabinet had the
jurisdiction to carry out.
The source close to the speaker questioned the timing of Mikati’s initiative,
noting that the caretaker prime minister had boycotted previous sessions
called for by Berri.
“When the legislation [in the Constitution] specified the tasks a government
can carry out when in caretaker status, he did not think that the time to form
a new government would exceed the reasonable timeframe,” Mikati told
visitors at the Grand Serail.
“Thus, it has become necessary to clearly spell out the tasks a caretaker
Cabinet can carry out, and the Parliament is the arena where this can
happen,” Mikati said.
Mikati said he would bring up the issue with Berri personally.
Mikati has resisted calls from the March 8 coalition to hold a session to
approve the decrees needed to award tenders for offshore oil and gas
exploration. He said that according to the legal opinion of the Shura
Council, a caretaker government cannot make these decisions.
Other crucial issues requiring Cabinet action include key appointments,
including a chief for the Internal Security Forces and a state prosecutor.
Nominated in April, Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam has been
unable to assemble his government due to conditions and counterconditions by the March 8 and March 14 coalitions.
The source close to Berri voiced surprise at Mikati’s call, saying the
caretaker prime minister had boycotted a number of Parliament sessions
convened by Berri in recent months.
“Will caretaker Prime Minister Mikati attend a session called for by Speaker
Berri this time? Hasn’t he boycotted all Parliament sessions called for by
the speaker under the pretext that Parliament could not convene under a
caretaker government?” the source told The Daily Star.
Mikati, the Future Movement and other March 14 MPs have boycotted
every legislative session called for by Berri since July.
They argue that under a caretaker government, Parliament can only
convene to discuss urgent issues, not the session’s 45-item agenda. The
boycott, joined by Michel Aoun’s MPs, has deprived the sessions of a
quorum.
But Berri argues that according to the Constitution, the legislature can
convene at any time to discuss any issue.
“Does caretaker Prime Minister Mikati want to make his caretaker
government a full-fledged government again by asking for such an
explanation? What will the job of Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam
be then?” the source said.
MP Jamal Jarrah, from the Future parliamentary bloc of former Prime
Minister Saad Hariri, agreed with Mikati’s stance that the legislature was
responsible for explaining laws and texts in the Constitution.
“Parliament is the authority that explains laws, but besides this issue [that
of explaining the powers of a caretaker Cabinet], there are many legal and
constitutional texts that need to be clarified,” Jarrah said.
“These include the quorum needed to elect a president among other
issues. I support holding a Parliament session to explain all ambiguous
texts,” Jarrah said, adding that this was his personal opinion rather than
that of his bloc.
MP Ibrahim Kanaan, from Aoun’s Change and Reform bloc, called on the
caretaker government to convene and address pressing issues.
“It is unacceptable that vacuum continues, and the caretaker government
should meet to act on pending issues,” Kanaan said after the weekly
meeting of his bloc chaired by Aoun at his Rabieh residence.
“Don’t important issues such as Lebanon’s participation in the Geneva II
conference require a Cabinet session?” Kanaan said.
Russia and the United States are planning to hold the conference in order
to come to a political solution for the Syria crisis.
Meanwhile, the Future bloc reiterated that discussions to form an allembracing government could only begin after Hezbollah withdraws its
fighters from Syria and adheres to the Baabda Declaration.
In a statement after its weekly meeting, the bloc added that until these
conditions were met, it supported the formation of a neutral government.
Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad said that March 14 groups were
disappointed after the U.S. refrained from launching a military operation
against Syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons against rebel-held
areas in August.
“They are now upset with their American masters for not striking Syria,
thinking that their disappointment will bring them some gain,” Raad said
during a ceremony in the south.
“Our call – to join an all-embracing political government in which political
groups are represented based on their size in Parliament – aims to help
them get out of this crisis,” Raad said.
Separately, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Monday voiced support for
the formation of a government in Lebanon in the absence of intimidation by
Hezbollah.
“On Lebanon, we also discussed the importance of our strong support for
responsible moderates who will still work for government formation without
Hezbollah intimidation,” Kerry said during a news conference with his Saudi
counterpart, Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, in Riyadh.
“We think it’s important that Hezbollah not be allowed to define that future,”
he added.
Now Lebanon
Berri questions Miqati’s request for caretaker clarification
http://bit.ly/1fiVkfb
Speaker Nabih Berri responded to Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s
call for a parliament session to clarify the tasks of the caretaker cabinet.
“In the case I respond to his request, what is the guarantee that he would
actually attend such a session? How can I respond to his proposal as long
as he is boycotting all parliament sessions? Or maybe he is trying to
[eventually boost] his cabinet,” Berri said in remarks published by As-Safir
newspaper on Wednesday.
In remarks published Turesday, Miqati called for a parliament session to
explain and clarify the caretaker task.
“It is about time we found a parliamentary explanation for the caretaker
task, so that I am not held directly responsible for all pending issues, some
of which require a decision issued by the cabinet,” Miqati told Al-Hayat
newspaper.
The speaker also said that the proposal to form a cabinet composed of nine
ministers affiliated with the March 8 coalition, nine with the March 14
coalition and 6 non-aligned centrists, was in the interest of the March 14
coalition.
“The proposal gives both rival coalitions a guaranteed third of the cabinet,
which means that the March 14 coalition will benefit the most because it is
currently not represented in Miqati’s cabinet,” Berri said.
In mid-October Hezbollah officially backed a proposal for a government that
gives both March 8 and March 14 nine ministers each, while centrists
would have six. March 14 has not accepted the proposal as the cabinet
formation process enters its seventh month with no end in sight.
Suleiman reiterates call for dialogue
http://bit.ly/1b7M9LW
Lebanon President Michel Suleiman reiterated his call on all the Lebanese
parties to agree on national and regional political issues through dialogue.
“[Everyone] must sit together at the dialogue table,” Suleiman said on
Tuesday during a ceremony for the inauguration of the Judicial Studies
Institute.
The head of state also called on the country’s different political parties “to
not boycott parliament, obstruct the formation of the cabinet or attempt to
disrupt a presidential election session.”
The mandate of President Michel Suleiman, who was elected in 2008,
expires in May 2014.
Meanwhile, Lebanon is still waiting for the formation of a new government
months after the resignation of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati. The
term of the country’s parliament was also extended in May after the political
parties failed to agree on a new electoral law.
L’Orient Le Jour
Soutenu par le PSP, le 8 Mars remporte une victoire à l’AUB pour la
deuxième année consécutive
http://bit.ly/186ZDoY
Béchara MAROUN | 06/11/2013
UNIVERSITÉS L’alliance du PSP avec les partis du 8 Mars a été garante
d’une défaite du 14 Mars hier lors des élections estudiantines à l’Université
américaine de Beyrouth, alors que les indépendants affirment leur
présence d’année en année au sein de l’AUB.
Le Parti socialiste progressiste (PSP) a confirmé hier sa réputation de
faiseur de rois à l’Université américaine de Beyrouth (AUB). En 2010, il
offrait en effet au 8 Mars la majorité des places au sein du conseil
estudiantin. En 2011, le 14 Mars reprenait du tonus, avec une victoire
facilitée par le PSP qui s’était présenté en tant qu’indépendant, mais avait
néanmoins soutenu les candidats du 14 Mars en catimini. Et l’an dernier, le
PSP, toujours caché sous des slogans d’indépendance et de
dépolarisation, avait permis au 8 Mars d’arracher la majorité des sièges du
conseil des étudiants.
Ainsi, rien qu’à savoir que le PSP s’est présenté pour cette saison
électorale comme allié du 8 Mars, et que les deux camps ont préparé leur
campagne ensemble, il était possible de prédire que le scrutin allait, cette
année encore, déboucher sur une majorité favorable aux partis du 8 Mars.
Le mouvement Amal, le Hezbollah, le Courant patriotique libre (CPL), le
Parti syrien national social (PSNS) et leur allié de fortune, le PSP, ont pu
ainsi remporter 9 des 18 sièges du conseil représentant les sept facultés
de l’université, l’USFC, contre 6 sièges pour le 14 Mars et 3 pour les
indépendants.
À l’AUB, mis à part l’USFC, représentatif des facultés, le SRC, ou conseil
représentatif des étudiants, comprend 109 membres. Ces derniers ont pu
être élus cette année de façon totalement indépendante de l’USFC, ce qui
constitue une nouveauté. L’an dernier, en effet, les 18 membres de l’USFC
étaient choisis parmi les 109 membres vainqueurs au SRC, mais pour cette
saison électorale, les candidats aux élections devaient choisir pour quel
conseil ils aimeraient être élus. Sur 109 places à pourvoir au sein du
conseil estudiantin, le 8 Mars en a remporté également la majorité. Au
niveau des facultés, le 14 Mars a pu conserver son bastion de toujours, la
faculté de gestion, mais s’est vu retirer un butin précieux qu’il avait acquis
pour la première fois en 2012, la faculté de génie et d’architecture, où la
bataille électorale revêt un cachet chrétien entre Forces libanaises et CPL.
La faculté de santé a témoigné quant à elle d’une victoire du 14 Mars pour
la première fois, alors que les autres facultés tombaient dans les filets du 8
Mars.
Les élections s’étaient déroulées dans le calme durant la journée, au milieu
de mesures sécuritaires renforcées. Pour la première fois, note-t-on, le
vote électronique a été utilisé dans plusieurs facultés.
À l’annonce des résultats, les partisans du 8 Mars ont lancé des slogans à
la gloire de la Syrie et du président Bachar el-Assad. Les joumblattistes,
dans la mêlée, ne semblaient nullement gênés. Firas, responsable
estudiantin du PSP à l’AUB, affirmait en effet en journée que « les raisons
derrière notre alliance avec le 8 Mars sont purement logistiques et se
rapportent uniquement aux élections de l’AUB ».
De leur côté, les indépendants du Secular Club étaient confiants. « Après
2005, soulignait Naji Aoun, les partis et leurs idées confessionnelles étaient
revenus en force sur la scène estudiantine de l’AUB, traditionnellement
dominée par les idées gauchistes et laïques. Mais cette vague de
sectarisme a perdu de sa vigueur depuis quelque temps, à l’AUB mais
aussi à la LAU. » Et d’ajouter : « Nous n’avons aucunement pour but de
chasser la politique de l’université, mais le travail des partis au Liban n’a
rien de politique. »
Mikati : C’est au Parlement de définir la gestion des affaires courantes
http://bit.ly/186ZPEC
Soumis à de fortes pressions et critiqué par les deux camps, le Premier
ministre sortant Nagib Mikati s’est étonné hier des reproches adressés au
gouvernement chargé des affaires courantes « parce qu’il ne coopère pas
en vue de la formation d’un nouveau gouvernement ».
Nagib Mikati a ainsi assuré que son gouvernement assume les
responsabilités nécessaires alors que les circonstances difficiles
n’échappent à personne. Devant ses visiteurs, il s’est aussi exprimé sur les
critiques qui lui sont adressées de ne pas tenir une réunion du Conseil des
ministres. Il a rappelé que lorsque le législateur a reconnu le principe de la
gestion des affaires courantes, il ne pouvait pas imaginer que la formation
d’un nouveau gouvernement pouvait se prolonger de cette façon. Il est
donc devenu nécessaire, selon lui, de faire une interprétation claire et
précise de la gestion des affaires courantes. Et c’est le Parlement qui est la
partie habilitée à faire une telle interprétation. Dans ce contexte, M. Mikati a
demandé au président de la Chambre de convoquer une séance du
Parlement consacrée à cette mission, ajoutant qu’il lui en parlera
directement prochainement.
M. Mikati s’est aussidéclaré rassuré au sujet de la stabilité financière au
Liban, surtout après un entretien avec le gouverneur de la Banque centrale
Riad Salamé.
Au sujet de Tripoli, le Premier ministre chargé des affaires courantes a
estimé que la situation est en train de s’améliorer à cause des mesures
prises par l’armée et les forces de sécurité. Il a affirmé à cet égard qu’il ne
permettra pas que Tripoli reste l’otage de certaines parties qui cherchent à
la déstabiliser. Les habitants de la ville ont le droit, a-t-il dit, de vivre en paix
et en sécurité.
Au sujet de la convocation de l’ancien député Ali Eid devant la justice, M.
Mikati a affirmé qu’il ne comprend pas le tapage fait autour de cette affaire,
d’autant que la justice a mis la main sur le dossier. Il a ajouté que la
communauté alaouite fait partie du tissu social de Tripoli et qu’elle n’est en
aucune manière visée. Il a donc invité l’ancien député Ali Eid à se rendre à
la convocation de la justice, d’autant qu’il affirme n’avoir aucun lien avec
les suspects ni avec la fuite d’Ahmad Merhi, accusé d’avoir mis la voiture
piégée devant la mosquée al-Taqwa. M. Mikati s’est engagé à ce que sa
déposition « soit faite devant les autorités judiciaires compétentes »...
Première réunion de la sous-commission chargée d’étudier la loi électorale
http://bit.ly/HIYHQu
La sous-commission parlementaire chargée d’étudier la loi électorale pour
les législatives s’est réunie hier pour la première fois, sous la présidence
du député Nawar el-Sahili, et en présence des députés Élie Aoun, Michel
Hélou, Ghazi Zeaiter, Serge Torsarkissian et Samir el-Jisr, et du ministre
sortant de l’Intérieur, Marwan Charbel. M. Sahili a affirmé à
l’issue de la réunion que « les discussions étaient calmes, productives,
constructives et raisonnables ». « Nous avons discuté de la proposition
visant à permettre aux soldats et militaires de voter lors des élections », a-
t-il ajouté, estimant que « la prochaine réunion se tiendra mardi et portera
probablement sur le comité de supervision des législatives ».