Saniora is 'Red Line', Says Daryan from Grand Serail
Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan, Lebanon's most senior Sunni Muslim cleric, on Monday threw his support behind ex-PM Fouad Saniora in the face of corruption accusations.
Daryan voiced his remarks after talks at the Grand Serail with Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
“The issue of fighting corruption is important and necessary, as long as we are seeking to establish a just and strong state, but this issue must be addressed within state institutions, because there are inspection and accountability bodies that should perform their job,” Daryan told reporters after the meeting.
“Whereas overbidding over this issue or resorting to political campaigns over this file or another file are rejected. On this very issue I voice a clear message: ex-PM Fouad Saniora is a red line, because he is a statesman par excellence who has restored the transparency and credibility of the state's funds,” the mufti added.
Referring to Saniora's latest press conference, Daryan said the former premier refuted “all accusations and lies” and was “very successful” in doing so.
“Ex-PM Fouad Saniora is a major value and figure in whom we pride ourselves and we will defend him against any unjust accusation,” the mufti went on to say.
On Friday, Saniora described the issue of the “missing” $11 billion as a “farce,” as he announced that those “setting up mini-states inside the state” are the real corrupts, in an apparent jab at Hizbullah.
At a press conference he held to respond to remarks by MP Hassan Fadlallah, Saniora added that the 11 billion dollars in question were spent on interest hikes, treasury loans for Electricite Du Liban, and wage hikes and recruitment expenses for the armed forces.
04 March 2019, 16:32
07
To the Sunnis Siniora is a Red Line
To the Maronites Aoun/Bassil are Red Lines
To the Shia Berri and Nassrallah are Red lines
To the Druze Jumblatt is a Red Line
and fight corruption if you can!
04 March 2019, 16:54
13
Why is he god ? If he is a looter than he should be tried. It is a shame that the mufti takes such a stance.
04 March 2019, 18:09
80
Sunnis in Lebanon must explain how they side with the Christians against their fellow Muslims in the matter of excluding Shias from political power via Article 24 of the Constitution which gives half of the Chamber of Deputies, regardless of vote totals, to Christians. Noam Chomsky says more than half of all Lebanese are Shias. Wikipedia says a census has not been done since the '30's "because the matter is so sensitive" or some such words. Anyway, how would a census taker establish your religious affiliation? Iowa: "Ma'am, are you an AME Methodist or a United Methodist?" "You mean this week?" Well, I guess if it's what you want to call yourself, that would still unclog the log-jam in Lebanon. If half the people want to call themselves Christian, then Article 24 is okay. But then it would be unnecessary.
05 March 2019, 00:51
50
Believe me, and don't make fun of my friend Chomsky, he's a little slow but he's honest, Lebanon's Christian privileges, the half of the Chamber of Deputies set aside for Christians, damages Christianity like nothing else in the whole world.
