Chamoun Slams Aoun as Conspirator against Christians, Says Extending Parliament's Term 'Necessary Evil'
National Liberal Party leader MP Dory Chamoun rejected on Wednesday the extension of the parliament's term, accusing Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun of conspiring against Christians in Lebanon.
“Aoun is one of the conspirators against the Christians' existence in Lebanon and the orient as his actions harm the interests of Christians,” Chamoun said in comments published in the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper.
He slammed the endeavors of the FPM leader as “more dangerous than the practices of the Islamic State of the Iraq and the Levant against Christians in Iraq.”
“Aoun is obstructing the presidential poll and hindering the Christians' top state post, compelling settlements that will not bring a strong head of state to power,” Chamoun told the newspaper.
He accused the FPM chief of having similar goals as Hizbullah, pointing out that Aoun aims at the formation of a constituent assembly to reshape the political life in the country.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had continuously called the establishment of a constituent assembly elected by the people.
Chamoun voiced doubts that the presidential elections would be held anytime soon.
Lebanon has been plunged into a leadership vacuum after Michel Suleiman's presidential term ended on May 25 with rival political blocs still divided over a new leader.
The parliament convened nine times to try to elect a successor to Suleiman but failed during the last eight sessions due to a lack of quorum.
Turning to the issue of parliamentary elections, Chamoun rejected attempts to extend the tenure of the current parliament, expressing fear over further vacuum at state authorities.
However, he described the postponement of parliament's term as a “necessary evil,” warning that “staging the elections would compel the cabinet to resign, which means vacuum will hit the executive authority due to the vacancy at presidency.”
Lebanon will enter on August 20 a deadline to agree on a new electoral law ahead of the November elections.
In May 2013, the parliament voted to extend its own mandate for 17 months after the rival political parties failed to reach a new electoral law.
Around 100 MPs from all blocs, except the Change and Reform bloc, voted to extend parliament's term until November 20, 2014.
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