Al-Rahi Slams Lebanese Politicians: Masks Have Fallen

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Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Friday criticized Lebanese politicians for “destroying” the country and slammed lawmakers for “protecting their seats” at the parliament.

At the end of his two-week pastoral visit to Australia, al-Rahi said: “Politicians destroy and we build no matter what.”

“The masks have fallen from the faces of our officials in Lebanon.”

Al-Rahi has been lately venting his anger at Lebanese lawmakers who on Wednesday extended the term of the parliament for the second time.

“The MPs hurried like brave students to protect their seats by extending their tenure and going against the will of the people and the constitution,” he said during a press conference ahead of his return to Beirut.

The patriarch also blasted parliamentarians who rejected the extension, saying they should reveal their objection by resigning from the 128-member parliament.

The legislature voted by 95 votes out of 97 members present to extend its mandate until June 20, 2017.

Only two lawmakers voted against the draft-law. But 31 boycotted the session altogether in protest over the controversial decision.

Parliamentary elections were originally scheduled for the middle of 2013, but MPs approved a 17-month extension of their mandate on May 31, 2013.

The pro-extension MPs claimed on Wednesday they needed to stay in office because the political stalemate and security concerns have deepened.

Lebanon has been without a head of state since May, when President Michel Suleiman stepped down after his six-year term ended without a replacement. The presidency is the country's top Christian-held position.

Asked about the vacuum at Baabda Palace and who would vote for a president if the parliament is illegitimate, al-Rahi said: “I will not talk to them (MPs), but to the states that sent them orders because they are not the decision-makers.”

Al-Rahi accused the lawmakers on several occasions of taking orders from outside powers.

G.K.

H.K.

Comments 13
Thumb ex-fpm 07 November 2014, 09:12

"The patriarch also blasted parliamentarians who rejected the extension, saying they should reveal their objection by resigning form the 128-member parliament."

hear hear FPM!!

Missing humble 07 November 2014, 09:31

Any Christian following a traitor, is a traitor.

Default-user-icon jacob-dastona (Guest) 07 November 2014, 10:15

why was flamethrower banned?!

Default-user-icon thierry-meyssan (Guest) 07 November 2014, 16:31

jacob-dastona flamethrower is not banned, he's just using all his other names more frequently than before to post. he used to post primary as flamethrower and use the others here and there as needed.

Default-user-icon moffaker.flamethrower (Guest) 07 November 2014, 12:32

timely newsflash

Default-user-icon full.disclosure. (Guest) 07 November 2014, 14:24

13 downvotes? Lol, oooook yea, those multiples accounts DEFINTIELY are legit lmao!!! This site is such a joke

Missing humble 07 November 2014, 09:29

Caporal and followers are destroying the christians.
Mutelateh is anti-christian.

Missing humble 07 November 2014, 09:33

Caporal is an agent to Syria and Iran. Full stop.

Thumb marcus 07 November 2014, 09:44

So according to the fpm this Parliament is illegal and was illegal because it extended itself for an additional term. I wonder if this 'illegal' parliament decided to vote Aoun as President, what would he say? Would he attend the sessions? Would he refuse the Presidency?

Thumb ashtah 07 November 2014, 09:56

didn't this illegal parliament also give the government that Aoun/FPM is part of a vote of confidence, strange!

Missing peace 07 November 2014, 12:47

if FPMers and kataeb find the extension unconstitutionnal and illegal then the only thing to do to show their honesty is resign! not play the hypocrites! how can they be part of something they claim to be illegal? LOL

good and true comments from the patriarch denouncing all these hypocrites sucking lebanese money like vampires suck blood!

Default-user-icon thx (Guest) 07 November 2014, 16:21

please stop using your multiple IDs to link nuts like globalresearch and voltairenet you are embarrassing yourself, plus you spam this forum with enough drivel daily using your initial alias.

Thumb kanaanljdid 07 November 2014, 18:16

kelme, bas kelme