ELECTORAL BATTLES IN METN, KOURA SIMMERING
Mohamad Shmaysani
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18/03/2009
Political and electoral rhetoric is escalating only weeks before the
Lebanese decide on their new representatives.
The March 14 bloc and the opposition have been gradually promoting
their candidates and, therefore, they have been engaged in a rhetorical
race; the usual rhetoric.
But what is attracting attention is the crystallizing discord within
the March 14 bloc, whose claims of unity of ranks have been questioned.
In contrast with the March 14 camp, the opposition has been maintaining
balance and appears to be studying its every move on the road to June
7 elections.
Change and Reform (of MP Michel Aoun) MP Abbas Hashem expected more
discord among the poles of the March 14 bloc "because they do not have
political statures in their milieus." Speaking at a political forum
in Beirut’s southern suburb, Hashem emphasized that only positive
surprises for the opposition will come out in the upcoming elections.
So far, the Metn precinct has been in the forefront of districts that
are likely to witness fierce electoral battles.
There, the prospects of Aoun’s electoral list to win are rising
especially as a rival list to be formed by MP Michel Murr and Phalange
Party leader Amine Gemayel has been suffering lots of pangs.
THE COMPLICATIONS Murr=2 0is, in a way or another, allied with the
Armenian Tashnag party whose voters can dramatically change the outcome
of elections in Metn. Murr has also managed to make an understanding
with the Phalange party who is at odds with the Tashnag party. On the
other hand, the Phalange party is in the same March 14 alliance with
State Minister Nasib Lahoud who is the historical foe of Murr.
Murr and Gemayel are willing to leave the Armenian seat vacant for
the Tashnag party (MP Hagop Pakradounian) that would only accept
to join Murr’s list if his allies promise to keep Armenian seats in
other electoral districts vacant for it. Moreover, the Armenian party
promised Murr to vote solely for him, but not for the entire list as
Tashnag is allied with Aoun’s FPM.
Six of the 128 seats in parliament are reserved for Armenians.
Lahoud, Gemayel’s ally, expressed resentment at excluding him from
forming the Metn list. He favors a closed list for the "loyalty bloc"
including an Armenian candidate (Minister of State Jean Ogassapian). He
firmly rejects "importing candidates from outside the Metn to conduct
this battle." "I only participate in an electoral list which I have
a role in forming. I will not join any list that I did not contribute
in forming," the minister stressed early this week. "When did Lahoud
take part in preparing winning lists; he lost the last elections and=2
0won as an independent in the elections before," Murr retorted in an
interview with Asharq Al-Awsat Wednesday.
TASHNAG TO REVEAL DECISION SOON Tashnag leader Hovik Makhtarian
revealed that the party had reached a clear decision regarding
alliances in the upcoming elections, as well as cooperation with Future
leader MP Saad Hariri and MP Michel Murr. Makhtarian said that he only
had a single meeting with Hariri, but declined to reveal the party’s
decision. He added that his party’s central committee had discussed
Hariri’s proposal that includes, according to him, a political and
an electoral part. According to media reports, Hariri had proposed
to give Tashnag four seats in the three districts of Metn, Zahle
and Beirut. Makhtarian refused to disclose the proposal through the
media before informing the concerned parties of the party’s decision
in the next couple of days.
The Tashnag party has announced that it is still politically and
electorally committed to MP Aoun, and that it will vote solely for
Murr, regardless of the outcome of negotiations with the Future
Movement.
MORE COMPLICATIONS IN METN Aside from the Armenian candidate and the
Lahoud-Murr row, the Lebanese Force of Samir Geagea, also Gemayels
allies in the March 14 bloc, are still insisting on Edie Abillamaa as
their candidate in Metn. Murr unwaveringly refuses the LF candidate
and wants his own, Pierre Ashqar, on the list.
KOURA AND THE PHALANGE PARTY QUESTION Also in Koura, north of Lebanon,
discord within the March 14 bloc has clearly emerged. Koura is a
Christian district with 3 Catholic seats.
Once more, the Phalange party finds itself in front of a complicated
formula with the aim of excluding it from the list of its allies in
the March 14 camp. Hariri’s Future movement currently has two seats,
MP Farid Mekari and MP Nicolas Ghosn and the third seat is occupied
by Lebanese Forces MP Farid Habib.
Speaking to the Tayyar.org site, Phalange party candidate in Koura
Jean Mfarraj stated that the electoral battle in the districts
was still ambiguous. Mfarraj however found it very odd to seek to
exclude a candidate from an elite Christian Party like the Phalange
party for Hariri’s Future Movement candidates. The Future Movement,
the Phalange party and the LF are allies in the March 14 bloc.
"Most of the residents of Koura are wondering about this as well,"
he told the internet site.
Mfarraj however stressed he will run for elections even without an
agreement with the Future Movement.
It seems that this was not the first attempt by allies to remove
Phalange party candidates from March 14 lists for the benefit of
other candidates.
Gemayel said in a press conference on Tuesday at the Lebanese Embassy
in Kuwait that "as much as we are interested in solidarity with our
allies within the March 14 alliance, we are adamant to be represented
in parliament. We hope our allies will respect this, and the alliance
will be fruitful and beneficial for everyone."
On the other hand the opposition has a list of three candidates in
Koura, Fayez Ghosn from the Marada party of Suleiman Franjieh, Salim
Saadeh from the Syrian Socialist National Party and an undisclosed
candidate from the Free Patriotic Movement.
Like Metn, Koura is likely to witness a fierce electoral battle whether
between the March 14 bloc and the opposition or between candidates
from the same loyalty bloc. According to analysts, three lists -two
for the loyalty bloc and one for the opposition – in Koura would make
it much easier for the opposition to win.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress