Aoun: Our Allies Back Orthodox Law, Those Saying It Leads to War are Thugs
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday announced that his allies support the electoral law proposed by the Orthodox Gathering, rejecting what he described as attempts to “steal the rights of Christians.”
“Our allies support the Orthodox Gathering law and we will hear their stance during the meeting of the parliamentary committees this evening,” Aoun told reporters after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in Rabiyeh.
“If they act like thugs, they will lead the country to war, but the competition is peaceful. History will curse anyone who rejects the Orthodox Gathering law, because he would be agreeing to be a humiliated MP rather than an honorable MP,” Aoun added.
Hitting back at former premier Fouad Saniora over remarks rejecting the Orthodox Gathering and accusing the current government of corruption, Aoun said: “It seems that Saniora has forgotten what he did when he was a prime minister and he's talking as if he has just 'descended from the heavens' and started discovering our problems.”
“I remind the Lebanese that the 1992 parliament was elected with a voter turnout of 13%, which makes it illegitimate, and everything based on the legislation of this parliament is illegitimate, but the parliament continued its mandate amid international support. That's why I remind Saniora that his rule was illegitimate,” Aoun charged.
He recalled that in 1996, “there were four provinces -- South, North, Bekaa, Beirut -- but they divided Mount Lebanon in order to scatter the votes of Christians.”
“They did all this for the sake of a politician who was influential back then,” Aoun went on to say.
“If we analyze the result of the 1996 elections, we will find out that it was more of an appointment than an election, and certain people voted on the appointment. While in 2000, the Aley District was taken through the Ghazi (Kanaan) law,” said the FPM leader.
“So where are the stipulations of the Taef Accord concerning the rules that ensure coexistence? At least respect the National Pact's text,” he added.
“Today they are cursing us because we are against (Islamic) Sharia (law) and the cars of FPM supporters were vandalized in Akkar, so who is harming coexistence?” Aoun added.
The Christian leader stressed that he has not attacked “anyone's religious beliefs.”
“But whenever we criticize someone they accuse us of being against the Sunnis. Who should I criticize? (Venezuelan leader Hugo) Chavez and (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel? I'm criticizing the prime minister and I'm not scared of insults,” added Aoun.
He accused “Saniora and his group” of dissolving the Constitutional Council “so that it doesn't look into the electoral challenges.”
“I cannot allow anyone to steal my right, which is to elect 64 MPs, and this nonstop bargaining concerning the electoral law is unacceptable,” Aoun stressed.
“No one has the moral or legal right to steal the rights of a certain group,” he added.
“We will not accept anything less than our rights concerning the electoral law, which should be the Orthodox Gathering law,” Aoun stressed.
He noted that in Tripoli, “there are 1,451 Maronites who are represented by a lawmaker, while 12,642 Maronites in Rmeish do not have any representative.”
Source: Naharnet
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