Maronite Bishops Slam Frequent Security Incidents: Dialogue Needed to End Wage Dispute

The Maronite bishops council lamented on Monday the various security incidents in Lebanon and the spread of arms in the country, especially the frequent kidnappings.

It attributed the frequency of the abductions to “the state's weakness and tendency to achieve stability through appeasement.”

It made its remarks after its monthly meeting headed by Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.

“Lebanon, with its Muslim and Christian factions, is witnessing sectarian tensions that contradict the values that the country is built on,” it added.

The bishops therefore called on religious and political authorities to take an “historic stand” to confront this reality.

Moreover, they lamented the “failure to adhere to the Baabda Declaration” as demonstrated through the tensions along the Lebanese-Syrian border.

The declaration, signed in June, stresses the need for Lebanon to distance itself from regional conflicts in order to maintain the country's stability.

Addressing the dispute over the new wage scale, the Maronite bishops council noted that dialogue is necessary to resolve this issue.

The strikes may lead Lebanon to a new crisis “the consequences of which will be dangerous on all fields and which may even lead to the country's bankruptcy,” they warned.

They therefore held the government responsible for the current economic situation in the country, calling on all powers to resolve the new wage scale dispute through “calm dialogue.”

The Syndicate Coordination Committee has been holding an open-ended strike for two weeks over the government's failure to refer to parliament a new wage scale decree.

It has accused the government of negligence and stalling in fulfilling its demands.

On the parliamentary elections, the council renewed its rejection of the adoption of the 1960 electoral law, saying that some sides are seeking its adoption “in a manner that demonstrates a desire to shy away from national duties.”

It stressed the need to hold the elections on time on June 9.

Following the meeting, al-Rahi headed to the airport where he is expected to travel to the Vatican to attend the first round of meetings of cardinals before the conclave to elect the next pope.

Various political powers approved the Orthodox Gathering electoral law, which was rejected by President Michel Suleiman, Premier Najib Miqati, the Mustaqbal bloc, independent Christian March 14 officials, and the National Struggle Front of MP Walid Jumblat.

Discussions have intensified between the factions in recent weeks in order to reach an agreement over a new law to avoid the possibility of the postponement of the elections.