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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Hezbollah opposition to Lebanon by-elections unrealistic |
| 2007-06-19 |
| The pro-Syrian Hezbollah yesterday accused the government of dragging Lebanon into further crisis by insisting on by-elections to replace two slain MPs despite opposition from the Damascus-backed president. There is a party which... threatens the country with a deep political division that will come about if this party continues to monopolize power, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah warned. The Western-backed government decided on Saturday to hold by-elections on August 5 to replace two assassinated anti-Syrian parliamentarians, despite staunch opposition from President Emile Lahoud. Industry minister Pierre Gemayel was shot dead in November and MP Walid Eido was killed on Wednesday in a car bombing in Beirut. Members of the anti-Syrian majority blamed Syria for both murders, a charge Damascus denies. When the assassination of our colleague MP Walid Eido took place, we told them (the majority) let us not just condemn it... let us adopt serious steps to resolve the Lebanese crisis peacefully, Fadlallah said at a funeral in south Lebanon. But how did they respond? With unconstitutional acts, with threats to carry out unilateral steps. There is a president of the republic who has prerogatives, whether you agree with him or not, whether you are friends with him or not. But they are bypassing and violating his prerogatives, he added. Fadlallah was referring to the ruling majority's decision to go ahead with the by-elections even if the president refuses to sign the decree for the polls to take place. When were we against elections? When our colleague MP Gibran Tueni was assassinated (in December 2005) we had by-elections, and we had no problems with that because there was a legitimate and constitutional government, he said. The Syrian-backed opposition and Lahoud consider the government to be illegitimate since all six Shiite ministers quit the cabinet last November, charging that it was riding roughshod over power-sharing arrangements. Another opposition group, the Free Patriotic Movement of prominent Christian leader Michel Aoun, said on Sunday it did not oppose by-elections as long as Lahoud signs the decree. We are all for by-elections, but we want to protect the constitution and we do not accept that any harm be done to the prerogatives of the president of the republic, spokesman Antoine Nasrallah said. It would set a dangerous precedent, he added. The parliamentary majority accuses Syria of seeking to liquidate its absolute majority and thus prevent anti-Damascus forces from having the necessary number of votes to elect a successor to Lahoud later this year. Hezbollah according to local analysts is being unreasonable and unrealistic in its opposition to holding of the by-elections. What will Hezbollah do if its MPs were assassinated ? Asked one analyst. The problem in Lebanon is that the assassinations are only targeting the majority . It is obvious from Nabih Berri's NBN TV station scandal that the pro-Syrian camp is extremely pleased with these assassinations and counting on more to come to reduce the majority to 0. The question is does Hezbollah consider the majority to be that stupid to forgo the replacement of the murdered MPs?. It would have been more honorable from Hezbollah according to analysts , if its leaders really have good intentions to tell the majority : "No need for by-elections. Just pick the replacement and we will not oppose your decisions ", one analyst said. After all these MPs that are going to be replaced are 100% members of the majority and there is no grey area there . This is how Hezbollah can improve the ambience in Lebanon and earn the trust of the majority , if it wants a government of national unity. It is unrealistic of Hezbollah according to analysts to expect the president of Lebanon to approve the by-elections . Hezbollah knows too well that the president of Lebanon only serves the interests of the Syrians, who have been accused of murdering all the anti-Syrian politicians. If Assad calls president Lahoud " my personal Representative in Lebanon" and he does , what do the Lebanese people expect from such a president fro Lebanon? |
| Posted by:Fred |