GENERAL AOUN ANNOUNCED THE FREE PATRIOTIC MOVEMENT CANDIDATES FOR SEATS IN BEIRUT I ELECTORAL DISTRICT
Al-Tayyar
April 2 2009
Lebanon
General Aoun announced from Rabieh the Free Patriotic Movement
candidates for seats in Beirut I electoral district and they are:
Deputy Prime Minister Issam Abu Jamra for the Greek Orthodox seat
Nicolas Sahnawi for the Catholic seat
Massoud Achkar for the Maronite seat
Gregoire Caloste for the Catholic Armenian Catholic seat
Freij Sabonjian for the Orthodox Armenian seat
He continued answering reporters questions:
According to the General, the political program of the list would be
the same as the Free Patriotic Movement’s reform program. He called
on all the opposition supporters to back the announced list in the
upcoming elections. He regrets that some parties are thinking that
he will return the Syrians to Achrafieh and west Beirut. Addressing
those who wanted to be in the lists but could not at this time he asked
them for their support and each one will have his turn at one point.
Asked about the Tashnak the General said that they are our allies
and their alliance with MP Murr is separate, and does not concern
the FPM. He called upon the people to decide who they want for
MPs. Assuring that the FPM have chosen the best candidates and those
who have the highest chance of winning..
Aoun said that other electoral lists would be announced during the
few coming days.
The list’s announcement came a few hours after the Armenian Tashnak
party announced officially that it has refused MP Saad Hariri’s
offer of four parliamentary seats in return for voting for March
14 alliance’s full list of names in Beirut 1, the Metn and Zahle
districts. "After studying this offer … and during our second
meeting with MP Hariri (last night), we informed him about the
executive committee’s decision to form an Armenian MPs bloc that
will include five legislators" whose names were announced on Sunday,
the party said in a statement.