Report: Aoun Seeking Electoral Law 'Guarantees' in Exchange for Franjieh's Presidential Nomination
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun has not yet declared his stance on the potential nomination of Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh as president, reported the daily al-Mustaqbal on Saturday.
It said that Aoun, who is a presidential candidate, is seeking to ensure that he receive “guarantees” on the parliamentary electoral law before determining his position on the nomination.
He is keen to find out what electoral law will be adopted as part of a settlement that is being devised with ending the presidential deadlock.
Aoun's sources told the daily that the MP is dealing with the electoral law issue as a key factor that will determine his future stances on the presidential polls.
Franjieh's visitors meanwhile told al-Mustaqbal that he is “not yet prepared to discuss the electoral law.”
“This file is complicated and time is needed to find a consensual electoral law formula,” they explained.
Furthermore, they said that “placing conditions on his nomination is tantamount to rejecting his candidacy.”
Franjieh has emerged as an unofficial presidential candidate in recent days in the wake of talks he had held last week with Mustaqbal Movement chief MP Saad Hariri.
There has been intense media speculation on whether he will be a presidential candidate, despite reservations expressed by the March 14 alliance over the issue due to the lawmaker's close ties to the Syrian regime.
Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of a successor.
Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise candidate have thwarted the polls.
28 November 2015, 08:18
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General Aoun is the only shia christian world leader who cares about christian rights and that is why he accepts franjieh as president..... the rest pffft.
28 November 2015, 08:18
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I have no problem with Franjieh being president; he represents at least 70% of Christians in the tiny village of Zoghrta.
28 November 2015, 08:22
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I feel we are properly and fairly represented if Franjieh is elected president
28 November 2015, 08:24
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Finally, we are getting a great representative Christian president in the person of Frankieh; his history, contacts, personal relationships, and education speak for themselves.
28 November 2015, 08:25
00
All our hard work finally paid off: paralyzing the government, demanding the president be elected by the people, denouncing the parliament as illegal, and vetoing every appointment did not go in vain. We now have a model Christian president who is well respected within his community as sayyed Hassan always said. Bless Sayyed Hassan and General Aoun for their love of the Christians not only in Lebanon but in the whole of the Levant.
28 November 2015, 08:28
137
"due to the lawmaker's close ties to the Syrian regime" lol he grew up in Syria. Another Franjieh president is another puppet president, he will take orders from his masters in Damascus and Dahye.
28 November 2015, 08:35
137
We Christians have only ourselves to blame...... Lahoud's days will pale in comparison to what is coming under franjieh's presidency ( if the rumors are true )
28 November 2015, 08:54
138
Must be tough for Aoun the reformist to always be one step short of the presidency ;)
28 November 2015, 09:05
147
Isn't democracy grand? He's seeking guarantees on the electoral law. The sort of guarantees that will ensure his party gets enough seats in parliament no matter what the Lebanese voter thinks. Another fine example of our democracy is how m8 and m14 are dividing up the cake "Lebanon" between themselves as if we don't exist. Let the ballot boxes decide maybe? Also in my humble opinion we need the election of a new parliament before the presidency and the new mp's elect a president and new government for all of Lebanon not one that serves their personal interests. Hey guys maybe maybe we can elect people that can actually manage the garbage and 24 hour electricity this time round.
28 November 2015, 10:55
137
democracy in Lebanon is the closest thing to mafia rule...
they decide beforehand who is to be president then the mps vote for him... no choice but to abide by the decision... they twist laws just to satisfy their needs and if not they deem every thing unconstitutional... LOL
if people really think they are represented then they are fools... how can mafiosi represent you?
28 November 2015, 11:38
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It's like that all over the world, the good thing in Lebanon is that they try to agree and decide who the president will be in front of everyone, whereas elsewhere in the word they do it behind closed scenes.
28 November 2015, 14:08
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You are right but unfortunately it seems that's the way everywhere a al the thug Erdogan and Turkey. He loses the majority, decides a few months later to call another election, rounds up all of the opposition and jails them or intimidates them and wins the majority again. It's politics at its best. Bush loses to Gore but then he wins after recounting the Florida ballots and goes to court. Many examples of what everyone calls democracy to their convenience. What a shame that common people like us keep getting fooled.
28 November 2015, 11:21
137
Does Franjieh now represent the Christians? What happened to the FPM demands or do Christian rights fly out of the window if Aoun's palm gets greased with privileges for him and his family?
28 November 2015, 23:54
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Aoun will never run out of excuses in order to extend this vacuum until "only me" is chosen.
I am against nomination of any puppet but with the ELECTION of a president even thru this rotten parliament (quickest solution).
29 November 2015, 15:23
31
This is called CYA in the States, face saving in Lebanon. The guy has been played again by those who he thought would deliver Baabda to him. In 1988, it was the Syrians who were supposed to perform the mission. Gemayel did not want Aoun as the interim-PM, he was Syria's choice and Aoun overreached. When Syria balked, Aoun declared the "War of Liberation" on Syria that destroyed the Christian unity and delivered Lebanon to Syria for the next 15 years.
29 November 2015, 15:26
31
Then while in "exile" in Paris, Aoun looked for a new sponsor. He wanted the French who would not deliver. Then he went begging to the Americans. On several trips to the State Department, I asked about Aoun and the answer was always the same -- NEVER. Reason, he threaten to rocket the American Embassy and such a thing had never happened between the Lebanese Government and the American. So the US would never have him.
29 November 2015, 15:27
31
Then he cut a deal with Bashar Assad to return to Lebanon in exchange for giving political cover to Hezbollah because Hezbollah would deliver Baabda to him. And again Hezbollah used Aoun to paralyze the Lebanese Government while Hezbollah pursued its agenda in Lebanon and the region. As consolation, Hezbollah allowed Aoun and his family in on the Hezbollah criminal enterprises so that Bassil Gibran ended up with a $24 million dollar villa in Batroun. Not bad for an out of work mediocre engineer.
29 November 2015, 15:32
33
So now Hezbollah agrees to Frangieh along with KSA, Iran and the US. And Aoun wants this figleaf. A meaningless "guarantee" on an election law. That law changes every 4 years. He has alienated everyone whom he has ever dealt with and in the process he has totally screwed Lebanon to the point that an illiterate Assad groupie looks good as a Lebanese President. Lebanon's best days, however, lie ahead. Starting with the day that Aoun leaves this world and enters the next.
