Arslan Rejects 'Marginalization of March 8 Druze', Defends Meeting with Jumblat
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Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan on Sunday rejected the “approach of the March 8 camp towards the Druze sect” and stressed the need to “preserve the unity of the army, people and resistance” in the Policy Statement of the new cabinet.
During his meetings with popular delegations from several regions, Arslan called on Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam to “take his time and consult with all the political parties in the country in order to form a national unity cabinet that can confront the challenges.”
"A lot of critical junctures are looming in Lebanon's horizon, which requires it to boost its ability to cope with them; preserve its civil peace, security and economic stability; and overcome the regional crises,” said Arslan.
He said any new cabinet must embark on two missions: preserving Lebanon's security and economy.
Arslan also called on Salam to “maintain an essential approach in any cabinet lineup: the unity of the people, army and resistance,” describing it as “one of the general national constants that must be respected in order to provide political and security stability in Lebanon.”
"If we can't form a national unity cabinet and are obstructing its formation, that means we are incapable of gathering all the Lebanese, and if we are really unqualified to achieve that, we must not evade this reality by seeking others types of cabinet,” Arslan added, addressing Salam.
Commenting on the exclusion of his party from the meeting held between Salam and a March 8 delegation, Arslan said: “We totally reject what happened and a number of sects are being marginalized in the March 8 coalition.”
“I cannot accept the marginalization of the Druze sect,” Arslan added, noting that “Druze are the foundations of this country and the Druze community must be dealt with accordingly.”
On his latest meeting with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, Arslan said: “We have the right to meet with Walid Beik like the leaders of all the other sects meet together in this country.”
“No one has the right to interfere in the internal affairs of the Druze community, the same as we don't allow ourselves to interfere in the affairs of other sects,” Arslan added.
“I did not allow myself to interfere when a meeting was held in Bkirki between (Lebanese Forces leader) Samir Geagea, (Phalange Party leader) Amin Gemayel, (Marada Movement leader MP) Suleiman Franjieh and (Free Patriotic Movement leader MP) Michel Aoun,” Arslan went on to say.
14 April 2013, 17:39
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your might not have realized it yet ya meer but you are a tool and hassin only needs your input when he asks for it otherwise sit and zip it! micho does it very effectively. so understand, as micho has, that the iranian supreme leader is your master as well although as non shiites you don't pass go or collect $200, that is you won't be getting the key to paradise, made of genuine iranian plastic, nor get any virgins unless you woo nabil nicola or ibrahim kanaan
14 April 2013, 17:48
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Commenting on the exclusion of his party from the meeting held between Salam and a March 8 delegation, Arslan said: “We totally reject what happened and a number of sects are being marginalized in the March 8 coalition.”
lol welcome to hizbullah power sharing...
14 April 2013, 22:17
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Lol it is the same style of writing. I would honestly love to know how many names r from the same IP. There might only be like 5 ppl on here! :p
14 April 2013, 17:49
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“I did not allow myself to interfere when a meeting was held in Bkirki between (Lebanese Forces leader) Samir Geagea, (Phalange Party leader) Amin Gemayel, (Marada Movement leader MP) Suleiman Franjieh and (Free Patriotic Movement leader MP) Michel Aoun,” Arslan went on to say.
lol how could he have interfered?
14 April 2013, 22:09
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apparently, the man doesn't know what the term "taking the high road" means....
he's hurt, he's grouchy and he's no body
i suppose not all baathist dogs are treated equal -
nousralla comes in first , aoun in second ,,,and the rest of the pack
14 April 2013, 22:20
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Arsalan made alota good points. But he just needs to realize that his actions, and that of wahab, are what's causing any schisms in the Druze community.
15 April 2013, 07:59
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This election law debate is about presenting who gets to designate the next PM, who controls the next government, and this whether or not Lebanon becomes a casualty of the Syrian War. The Orthodox Gathering with its proportional representation feature, will award Deputies to Aoun, even of his list loses in close elections in Metn, Kesrwan, and Zahle. With the extra FPM Deputies, M8, which is to say Hezbollah wins the election and gains control of the Government.
The 1960 plan, which was used in 2009, will allow Sunni voters to supplement M14 Christian lists and give M14 a majority, allowing it to designate the next PM and Government.
15 April 2013, 07:59
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If Hezbollah wins the elections and controls the government expect more and open involvement of Hezbollah in the Syria War, particularly on the critical Homs/Hermel axis on which Hezbollah's resupply lifeline depends.
If Future wins, then expect that Hezbollah will go to war with the Lebanese people, army and resistance, if it can't find any other way to pursue its agenda in Syria.
15 April 2013, 08:07
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Arslan is of course with Jumblatt in opposing the Orthodox Gathering Plan. If Druze voters can only be instrumental in electing only Druze Deputies, the whole community is marginalized. The Druze are smart enough to know the end game when they see it.
However, the same logic works with regard to the Christians. Under the current manifestation of the Taif Amendments to the Constitution, the Christian voters who make up 39-40% of the population have the right, nonetheless to elect 50% of the Deputies. This is more than one man-one vote. With Moslem voters having a say in the extra Christian Deputies that are elected, a de facto balance is struck, and the stability created by Taif can endure. The Christian overreach embodied in the Orthodox Gathering, undoes the de facto balance and can result in the Christians losing their 50% share in the Parliament.
15 April 2013, 08:13
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Unfortunately, the current crop of Christian political leadership is blind to communal interest as they are mesmerized by their own individual stakes and interests. They lost the mantle of power in the 1970's by acting as though Lebanon was all theirs when their numbers had dropped to >50% and now this same group, making the same mistakes risk losing what little bit of power they have left.
The name of the game for minorities is SURVIVAL. The Druze survive because they play the game well and smart. The Christian political leadership needs to get over having lost the demographic war and learn the art of survival as a minority demographic group. The first lesion is coalition building with other groups to form a majority. The Orthodox Gathering plan would institutionalize the deconstruction of coalition building.
15 April 2013, 08:18
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M14 Christian Parties + FPM makes the Christians full partners with the Sunni and Druze in a governing coalition. Aoun having gone his own way with Hezbollah, has made himself a weak second sister to the Shiite Parties, while weakening the Christian element in the M14 camp. Seeking his own personal agenda, Aoun has thus crippled the entire Christian political profile in Lebanon.
does he really think that if he gets more Deputies that he can control Hezbollah??? When tails wag dogs.
