Mustaqbal Says Parliament Extension Necessary to Avoid Vacuum, Warns against 'Arbitrary Arrests'

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Monday urged the political forces to take part in a key legislative session scheduled for Wednesday, in which MPs are likely to vote for extending the legislature's term for a second time in two years.

“The bloc reiterates its stance that the priority is for the election of a president, but the deliberate obstruction of this process has necessitated resorting to an extension of the parliament's term,” the bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

It called on parliamentary blocs to take part in the session and to vote in favor of extension in order to “avoid a vacuum in constitutional institutions, which might lead to dangerous repercussions on the state, political system, general situations and the higher national interest.”

Mustaqbal noted that the “main mission” of lawmakers after Wednesday's expected extension would be “electing a new president according to March 14's consensual initiative, away from the obstruction practiced by Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement.”

A new electoral law for parliamentary polls would also be drafted after extending the legislature's term and electing a new president, the bloc added.

Last year, the parliament extended its term until November 2014 after the MPs failed to agree on a new law and claimed the security situation did not guarantee violence-free elections. A similar extension is set to take place on Wednesday to avoid a further vacuum.

The Baabda Palace has been vacant since the expiry of president Michel Suleiman's term in May. The rival MPs have failed to elect a new head of state over their differences on a compromise candidate.

The majority of the March 8 camp's lawmakers have boycotted the sessions, insisting that there should be consensus on a candidate first.

But their boycott has also been seen as a sign of their rejection of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's candidacy, which was officially endorsed by the March 14 forces before the coalition suggested agreeing on a compromise nominee.

Separately, Mustaqbal said the northern city of Tripoli has once again proved that it is “the city of moderation, centrism, and respect for the law and order.”

“It will only be an incubator for the principle of the state and its institutions and for the army and legitimate security forces,” the bloc stressed.

In October, the army fought fierce gunbattles with Islamist gunmen in several neighborhoods of Tripoli and the nearby regions of Bhannine and al-Mhammara.

Eleven troops, five civilians and several militants were killed in the unprecedented fighting as scores of people were wounded.

The army managed to arrest dozens of gunmen and fugitives during and after the three-day battle.

In its statement, Mustaqbal voiced full support for the army's measures in Tripoli and the North as it warned against “discrimination and arbitrary practices and arrests, which would only lead to further tensions and grudges.”

It cautioned that resentment among the residents would be “detrimental to the principles of security, the just state and civil peace.”

The bloc also described the army's recent raids on some arms depots in Tripoli as “a step in the right direction that should be repeated and implemented in a permanent and fair manner in all Lebanese regions.”

Y.R.