Aoun to March 14 leaders: You are Feltman΄s men ~ We will win at least 35 seats

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said in an interview with LBC television's Marcel Ghanem on Thursday night that the Change and Reform bloc would win at least 35 seats in the next parliament and emphasized the importance of the March 8 coalition winning the majority of parliamentary seats to make sure the current electoral law would not be changed.

Aoun added his bloc attempted to ratify an electoral law on the basis of proportionality and called for forming a new cabinet after the forthcoming parliamentary elections on the basis of proportionality, which would reflect proper representation within the parliament.

The general stressed that consensual democracy in Lebanon imposed partnership within the cabinet and accused the majority of running against him in the elections, especially because he said it was paying for Lebanese expatriates to come to Lebanon from the United States, Europe, Australia and Africa to vote, "while we cannot rent an airplane."

On MP Michel al-Murr's comment that Aoun was a Syrian symbol, he said, "I am a Lebanese symbol in Syria. Murr usually commits mistakes and regrets them later on, such as defeating [Kataeb party leader Amin] Gemayel in the Metn district," a reference to FPM candidate Camille Khoury's victory over the former president in 2007.

Aoun also said that Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman's speech earlier this week on defining US policy toward Lebanon according to who won the elections was clearly US intervention in domestic Lebanese affairs.

"I received information that Washington warned Feltman and requested him to reduce his rhetoric in support of the March 14 alliance because the game surpasses them," he said.
Aoun stressed to Ghanem that his speeches did not aim to criticize Speaker Nabih Berri on a personal level but only the latter's style. "I consider him the ally of my ally, and he considers me the same."

"The March 14 alliance considers Lebanon a company, and for that reason [the national] debt accumulated. We cannot continue the governing process this way. Did anyone ask [Future Movement leader MP] Saad Hariri how is he going to resolve the debt issue?" Aoun asked.

The FPM leader also said his party had the sole authority to decide the names of its electoral candidates in the Jbeil district, and "it is enough for us not to chose any candidate against Hizbullah or the Amal Movement. He added that the FPM was likely to chose MP Abbas Hashem and noted that MP Walid Khoury's candidacy was not yet confirmed.

Aoun said President Michel Sleiman knew all the candidates in Jbeil but was not intervening in electoral issues.
On the explosive device found near Kataeb party leader Amin Gemayel's Bikfaya residence on Tuesday, the general said, "a hand grenade found in a car is not a big issue, but I will not make any comment before the investigation ends."

He added the people were accustomed to the quorum of MPs needed to pass laws not being met at parliament sessions, because the majority aimed to postpone or obstruct the discussion on some laws.

He accused Prime Minister Fouad Siniora of fooling the Lebanese people when he warned against decreasing the tax on gasoline and fuel prices during yesterday's parliament meeting.

"I do not have the authority of a judicial investigation committee, and I am not responsible for security in Lebanon. Therefore I am not supposed to request from Hizbullah clarification concerning the kidnapping of MEA employee Joseph Sader [in February]. I already called on the security forces to provide me with information on this issue, and I got nowhere," he noted.

He also said his concerns about the pending administrative appointments had no connection with dividing them between political parties, but "we need to be aware of the qualifications of the persons to be appointed. We should be briefed on the names of anyone to fulfill a position before the cabinet's approval, because we have to gather information about them."

Aoun added the March 14 coalition was four years late in understanding regional developments and their repercussions on relations with Syria. He noted Syria and Iran helped Lebanon during the 2006 July War, and "we should thank them for that."
"The Syrians say Siniora does not appreciate favors because he did not thank them for what they did during the war. They know him better than me," he said.

In response to a question on electricity cuts in North Lebanon, Aoun said, "Our voice will never disappear. My supporters can listen to me all the time and anywhere."