Koura Candidates Heat Up Campaigns for Sunday by-Elections
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri urged al-Mustaqbal supporters in the northern district of Koura on Thursday to vote for March 14 candidate Fadi Karam during the weekend by-elections as the rival candidates expressed confidence in their victory.
Karam stressed that the March 14 campaign officials are cooperating to prepare for Sunday’s elections.
He told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) that he expects the residents of Koura to heavily participate in the democratic process.
“They are very eager and have already made their choice,” Karam told the radio station.
He confirmed that his chances of winning the polls are very high.
“We are optimistic… the numbers confirm that our chances are better than the other candidate,” Karam stated.
Koura is likely to witness a tough electoral battle on Sunday to fill the Greek Orthodox seat vacated by the death of Lebanese Forces MP Farid Habib in May as the March 8 forces sought to take a seat away from their rivals by announcing the candidacy of Syrian Social National Party member Walid al-Azar.
For his part, Azar said that this battle is decisive where the Koura residents will be able to express their genuineness.
“It is my duty to warn the Koura residents from the racist and extremist alliance of others that aims at dividing the country and forcing the immigration of the minorities,” he said during a rally for the March 8.
He pointed out that Sunday’s elections will win over the political money that “they” are using to take advantage of the poor people.
As the two campaigns heated up, Hariri said in a statement that “casting your votes in this election is the essence of the democratic process that we are working on implementing and maintaining in Lebanon.”
He noted that voting for Karam is essential to preserve the 2005 Cedar Revolution, its achievements and the principles that it’s holding onto.
“Voting for Karam on Sunday will be purely choosing the March 14 project, which is based on a democratic, Arab, sovereign, free and an independent Lebanon,” Hariri stated.
The Mustaqbal movement leader noted that the Koura by-elections are very important as they are held amid major changes in the Arab region.
“I trust that al-Mustaqbal supporters in Koura have enough democratic culture and national awareness to heavily participate in the electoral process on Sunday,” the statement quoted him as saying.
Jean Jabr Mufarrej, Naim Moussa al-Ojaimi, Youssef Assaad Skaff and George William Mattar have also announced their candidacies for the by-elections.
12 July 2012, 10:44
34
what do you know about freedom and democracy? your model is that of the syro/iranian regime which suppresses all sorts of freedom, democracy and even the existance of Lebanon.
as a cover up smoke, you talk about wahabism/qaeda which are of your sort and rejected by m14.
so shut up and go to iran where you belong.
12 July 2012, 10:44
36
what do you know about freedom and democracy? your model is that of the syro/iranian regime which suppresses all sorts of freedom, democracy and even the existance of Lebanon.
as a cover up smoke, you talk about wahabism/qaeda which are of your sort and rejected by m14.
so shut up and go to iran where you belong.
12 July 2012, 10:45
42
Mr. Saad, Mr. Karam did not even propose an election program, when all of u will stop treating people as naive???however even if he proposed he won't stick to it
12 July 2012, 11:01
36
so you prefer a Syrian Iranian type of government,oppressive and backward dictatorship,go and get your self and brain then comment Iran is 200 years behind the world and the Syrians are killing there own people .no person in the right mind would back their kind of government.
12 July 2012, 11:49
43
There are parliaments in Syria and Iran. Their are Christian and Jewish Members of parliament in Syria and Iran. There are women Ministers in Syria and Iran.
Can the same be said of the Saudi bosses of hariri, geagea and the rest of feb14??
They know more about democracy than all of feb14, hariri and saudis combined.
12 July 2012, 14:22
12
Luxembourg.....
There is also a priest in jail in Iran awaiting his death sentence because he converted to Christianity. And a priest in Baalbeck who was kidnapped by Hezb because he baptized an adult Shiite who wanted to become a christian and was released only after the poor woman was returned to her family (God knows what her fate was). If this is your model for enlightened minds no wonder Lebanon is in the mess it is in.
12 July 2012, 15:04
00
I am not saying they are ideal there are extremists everywhere, just look at the far christian right in america (who are by the way allies with the wahabis).
Syria and Iran while not perfect, are closer to freedom and democracy than the patrons of feb14, the saudis.
12 July 2012, 13:36
13
SSNP candidate talking about Lebanon??? come on .. what has the world come to? and ya JustLebanese ... your candidate is the one who thinks people are naive. Koura residents are an educated bunch and should be able to stick to their beleifs and not jump from one side to another.
12 July 2012, 18:17
00
Previously posted: ..."The term “Syrian Social National Party candidate” used in conjunction with a Lebanese political election is insult enough. To have a Lebanese political figure endorse such a candidate -obviously loyal to a foreign country- is injury in addition to the initial insult. Shouldn’t Lebanese elections be for electing Lebanese political parties instead of foreign ones?"
12 July 2012, 13:37
61
Oh and Lebanon is a made up nation created by the imperial colonial powers, LONG LIVE GREATER SYRIA!
12 July 2012, 22:00
00
Karim, why dont you move to syria then to help your buddy ASSad...
People with a slogan like yours dont deserve to live in this country...
12 July 2012, 15:28
12
What would the SSNP do when the Syrian revolution triumph and the focus of the Syrian revolutionaries shifts to settling scores with those Lebanese factions that aided the doomed Syrian dictatorship?
12 July 2012, 16:10
21
Fadi Ur Still dreaming about this bogus révolution.....i Still think that the ssnp should not havé fielded à candidate and left thé position open for a....either way those who vote for thé Valentino candidate deserve to live to live under wahabi rule
12 July 2012, 16:10
31
Fadi Ur Still dreaming about this bogus révolution.....i Still think that the ssnp should not havé fielded à candidate and left thé position open for a....either way those who vote for thé Valentino candidate deserve to live to live under wahabi rule
12 July 2012, 17:02
03
It's far from a dream constantine, 17000+ dead, 1/3 of the army has defected including high ranking generals and close friends of ASSad and more on the way daily, diplomats, the FSA controls 40%+ of syrian territories, the Syrian economy is in shambles over 200000 refugees in jordan, Turkey and Lebanon and you call this a dream, I call it denial my friend, also why is it that anyone that disagrees with March 8Th principals is automatically labeled a Wahabi? Are Syrians/Iranians any better? No dictator can ever deny the will of the people especially determined ones, freedom will prevail, it's a matter of time.
12 July 2012, 17:07
03
I still Remember when Aoun and company claimed that the situation in Syria will be under control by tuesday, and they said it on Saturday, well here we are 16 months + later. The Syrian regime is doomed, buy yourself some popcorn and a six pack a beer hell make it a 12 pack and enjoy the show.
12 July 2012, 18:23
03
M8 is going thru the 5 stages of grief over the demise of Mr. Assad:
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance
At the moment, some members are stuck in stage one while others are stuck in stage two. There is a long road ahead…but the silver lining is that everything that has a beginning has to have an end.
13 July 2012, 04:24
00
The SSNP won't even exist any more after the Assad regime falls in Syria. It's a puppet political party that carries out assassinations in Lebanon and has no real popular support outside of the few families that rely on money from the Assads.
