Aoun Firm Supporting Resistance, Doors for Negations Not Closed Yet
Zeinab Essa
The Lebanese papers moved to the blender of interests. And the result is: a faking bet on a political dispute within the majority's house.
However, those who continue to bet on a dispute between the Change and Reform bloc and Hizbullah forget that a contradiction in views does not invalidate the friendliness.
The orange message reached the majority's house. However, the Head of the "Change and Reform" bloc was clear: To all who bet, the resistance is a red line.
Legislative, Ministerial Paralysis?!
It all started as the Parliament endorsed Monday a draft law to make electricity contract workers full-time employees. To object the Parliament's decision, Change and Reform bloc MPs joined the Lebanese Forces and Phalange MPs in their absence on the second legislative session. Thus, they thwarted the parliamentary quorum.
The three blocs argued that the endorsed bill would lead to the underrepresentation of Christians in the civil service.
Hours later, the bloc's ministers boycotted the government's session as an objection to the same issue. Thus, they also thwarted Tuesday's governmental quorum as Minister Alaadine Terro was out of the country.
Information Minister Walid Daouk told the National News Agency that a council of ministers session originally scheduled for Wednesday will also not be held.
Aoun, Berri into Dispute
For his Part, MP Michel Aoun denounced the parliamentary decision on EDL contract workers' describing it as an "arbitrary plan".
After the weekly meeting of his bloc, Aoun stated that "until now, we don't understand the reason behind the crisis of EDL contract workers."
"We won't accept that wrong decisions be imposed on us," he stressed.
He further acknowledged that "the endorsed law is illegal and invalid because "it was not put to a vote in parliament."
"How can we accept a law that we did not vote on? The relation with others is governed by certain rules, especially in state institutes," he said.
"There are ministers who lack a sense of responsibility or professional conscience," Aoun added.
However, he confirmed that "we may disagree politically, but the choice of resistance is a national decision."
"It's a vital need to protect Lebanon no matter what the political differences were," Aoun mentioned.
In parallel, House Speaker sources informed the same daily that "there is no sectarian motives behind the adoption of the EDL workers law."
"However, there are rights to be granted to their owners," the sources mentioned as they wondered the real motives behind the campaign against the Speaker."
The sources further highlighted that "the Change and Reform bloc reaction stems from electoral accounts in the first place."
The sources expressed astonishment over the campaign against Berri, noting that the voting at the parliament was by raising hands, which is not a new issue.
"No one objected after the vote, nor a re-voting was suggested," the sources said.
For its part, "al-Akhbar" daily quoted Berri's sources as saying: "President Michel Suleiman has the right not to sign the draft law and refer it back to the parliament, and we have the right to re-approve it."
This comes as the Head of the "National Struggle Front" MP Walid Jumblatt told "as-Safir" that "Aoun's reaction to the passed law is absurd."
Storm Within the Majority's Cup
"As-Safir" Lebanese daily commented on the emerged dispute by saying: "If Aoun advised not to go too far in the interpretation of his position, he reiterated his commitment to the resistance."
Meanwhile, some prominent figures in the majority, advised in remarks to the same daily "not to go too far in diligence and analysis."
"It is likely to be a storm within the cup," the sources assured.
In this context, "Loyalty to Resistance" bloc MP Ali Fayyad stressed to "al-Akhbar" that " we must set limits to what happened."
"The alliance with the Change and Reform bloc is firm and it is open to a long way of cooperation," he added.
Similarly, "al-Binaa" newspaper ruled out that the dispute on EDL workers will establish a rupture between Ain-Tine and al-Rabieh."
"The difference is part of the democratic action in the country," the paper clarified and pointed out that "the disagreement will stand at this point."
It further emphasized that "sides that will try to exploit the dispute to play the sectarian card will not succeed since the alliance between both leaders is strategic despite the bumps on some files."
"There are a lot of national issues which require to keep the bridges open between the two men," "al-Binaa" added.
Zasypkin Fears Syrian Crisis To Spill into Lebanon
On another level, Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin expressed his fear that "the Syrian crisis could spill over to other countries in the region and particularly Lebanon."
In an interview with "as-Safir", the Russian official urged Lebanese to continue their national dialogue because most of the Lebanese problems might be solved through dialogue.
"Our stance is clear in support of Lebanon's sovereignty, unity and independence, non-interference in Lebanese affairs and an end to any violation," he said.
He further called Lebanese authorities to implement tangible measures to control arms smuggling and the infiltration of fighters from and into Syria."
"This is a long-lasting and a persistent case and we positively evaluate all the measures that the Lebanese leadership has taken," Zasypkin said.
The ambassador also expressed his country's support to "the measures adopted by the Lebanese authorities and the Lebanese Army."
"At the same time we back the current government's policy of keeping itself at a distance from the Syrian crisis given Lebanon's particular location in the region," he said.
Zasypkin also refused to comment on the Lebanese internal files and especially on the government.
Source: Lebanese Newspapers, translated and edited by moqawama.org
The Lebanese papers moved to the blender of interests. And the result is: a faking bet on a political dispute within the majority's house.
However, those who continue to bet on a dispute between the Change and Reform bloc and Hizbullah forget that a contradiction in views does not invalidate the friendliness.
The orange message reached the majority's house. However, the Head of the "Change and Reform" bloc was clear: To all who bet, the resistance is a red line.
Legislative, Ministerial Paralysis?!
It all started as the Parliament endorsed Monday a draft law to make electricity contract workers full-time employees. To object the Parliament's decision, Change and Reform bloc MPs joined the Lebanese Forces and Phalange MPs in their absence on the second legislative session. Thus, they thwarted the parliamentary quorum.
The three blocs argued that the endorsed bill would lead to the underrepresentation of Christians in the civil service.
Hours later, the bloc's ministers boycotted the government's session as an objection to the same issue. Thus, they also thwarted Tuesday's governmental quorum as Minister Alaadine Terro was out of the country.
Information Minister Walid Daouk told the National News Agency that a council of ministers session originally scheduled for Wednesday will also not be held.
Aoun, Berri into Dispute
For his Part, MP Michel Aoun denounced the parliamentary decision on EDL contract workers' describing it as an "arbitrary plan".
After the weekly meeting of his bloc, Aoun stated that "until now, we don't understand the reason behind the crisis of EDL contract workers."
"We won't accept that wrong decisions be imposed on us," he stressed.
He further acknowledged that "the endorsed law is illegal and invalid because "it was not put to a vote in parliament."
"How can we accept a law that we did not vote on? The relation with others is governed by certain rules, especially in state institutes," he said.
"There are ministers who lack a sense of responsibility or professional conscience," Aoun added.
However, he confirmed that "we may disagree politically, but the choice of resistance is a national decision."
"It's a vital need to protect Lebanon no matter what the political differences were," Aoun mentioned.
In parallel, House Speaker sources informed the same daily that "there is no sectarian motives behind the adoption of the EDL workers law."
"However, there are rights to be granted to their owners," the sources mentioned as they wondered the real motives behind the campaign against the Speaker."
The sources further highlighted that "the Change and Reform bloc reaction stems from electoral accounts in the first place."
The sources expressed astonishment over the campaign against Berri, noting that the voting at the parliament was by raising hands, which is not a new issue.
"No one objected after the vote, nor a re-voting was suggested," the sources said.
For its part, "al-Akhbar" daily quoted Berri's sources as saying: "President Michel Suleiman has the right not to sign the draft law and refer it back to the parliament, and we have the right to re-approve it."
This comes as the Head of the "National Struggle Front" MP Walid Jumblatt told "as-Safir" that "Aoun's reaction to the passed law is absurd."
Storm Within the Majority's Cup
"As-Safir" Lebanese daily commented on the emerged dispute by saying: "If Aoun advised not to go too far in the interpretation of his position, he reiterated his commitment to the resistance."
Meanwhile, some prominent figures in the majority, advised in remarks to the same daily "not to go too far in diligence and analysis."
"It is likely to be a storm within the cup," the sources assured.
In this context, "Loyalty to Resistance" bloc MP Ali Fayyad stressed to "al-Akhbar" that " we must set limits to what happened."
"The alliance with the Change and Reform bloc is firm and it is open to a long way of cooperation," he added.
Similarly, "al-Binaa" newspaper ruled out that the dispute on EDL workers will establish a rupture between Ain-Tine and al-Rabieh."
"The difference is part of the democratic action in the country," the paper clarified and pointed out that "the disagreement will stand at this point."
It further emphasized that "sides that will try to exploit the dispute to play the sectarian card will not succeed since the alliance between both leaders is strategic despite the bumps on some files."
"There are a lot of national issues which require to keep the bridges open between the two men," "al-Binaa" added.
Zasypkin Fears Syrian Crisis To Spill into Lebanon
On another level, Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin expressed his fear that "the Syrian crisis could spill over to other countries in the region and particularly Lebanon."
In an interview with "as-Safir", the Russian official urged Lebanese to continue their national dialogue because most of the Lebanese problems might be solved through dialogue.
"Our stance is clear in support of Lebanon's sovereignty, unity and independence, non-interference in Lebanese affairs and an end to any violation," he said.
He further called Lebanese authorities to implement tangible measures to control arms smuggling and the infiltration of fighters from and into Syria."
"This is a long-lasting and a persistent case and we positively evaluate all the measures that the Lebanese leadership has taken," Zasypkin said.
The ambassador also expressed his country's support to "the measures adopted by the Lebanese authorities and the Lebanese Army."
"At the same time we back the current government's policy of keeping itself at a distance from the Syrian crisis given Lebanon's particular location in the region," he said.
Zasypkin also refused to comment on the Lebanese internal files and especially on the government.
Source: Lebanese Newspapers, translated and edited by moqawama.org
