A Lebanese Majority MP just suggested on a TV program an idea that deserves the attention of the opposition and some debate here:
If the opposition is serious about not wanting to benefit from the assassinations, if the opposition wants to prevent future assassinations from happening and if the opposition wants to start building confidence, the simple idea is the following:
For every majority MP that is killed, an opposition MP would offer his resignation. This way, the Lebanese people will believe, by action, not words, that the opposition is not secretly encouraging the assassinations.
On the other hand, if the opposition refuses this suggestion, we’ll understand where the NBN anchor is coming from.
Hello, my name is Mustapha and I've been blogging about Lebanese society, business and politics since February 2005.
Hey Mustapha,
Who was the MP?
I don’t think that’s a good idea at all. That is a very simple minded oriented thinking. The MP is not a number in a presidential election process Mustapha.
On another note, why didn’t Lahoud want to hold elections after Pierre’s assassination? It makes you wonder right? Since the party that could benefit from this seat, and will probably get this seat is Aoun?? But Aoun has proved to be shrewed in the past, and has left that seat open in the initial elections for Pierre. Lahoud is concerned that Aoun will just let March 14 get that seat back without a fight, just because. I don’t think he or Syria, with all their sucking up to Aoun actually trust him.
Syria is following the Lebanese saying when it comes to Aoun and March 14:
Nkeyieh bil najeseh, …. bi lbesi!!
I think it is a smart idea!
I don’t agree with “Lebaneseconnection” on why Lahoud refused to hold an election for Piere Gemail seat. The real reason is that pro Al-Kataeb person will win and it will expose that Aoun does not hold the majority of the Christians!
By the way, I did not get what do you mean by: “Nkeyieh bil najeseh, …. bi lbesi” Would you translate it to English or just explain it.
It was not Lahoud who prevented Pierre Gemayel’s seat from being filled: Ghazi Aridi said yesterday that if the president does not sign the decree within 15 days, then the government can go ahead with by-elections without the president’s signature. In other words, it was the government that failed to carry out its duty of organizing elections within the constitutional two-month time frame from PG’s death.
The opposition’s case is simple – why a bi-election or two when you can test the opposition in every seat in Lebanon – expose them through new new and total parliamentary elections.
mustapha this is a bad idea for one simple reason. I mean don’t get me wrong: it sounds good. But its a bad idea.
simple reason: quorum. the parliament needs a certain number of MPs to be considered in session. Certain votes in parliament need certain specific numbers of MPs. If you don’t have the numbers nothing happens.
GK,
Aoun loosing popularity in the christian street has been circulating around for a while, but you and I know that he has a solid base in Metn and Kiserwen, whether we would admit it or not. I believe in giving credit where credit is due, even if I disagree with the politics of the man. If he did not leave that seat open for Pierre, Pierre would not have been elected. All his list came through there. So suit yourself in your own opinion. I actually could not care less in either cases.
As for the saying, it means that the Syrians hate Aoun, but they hate March 14 even more. The saying translates like this:
In spite of filth, I shit in my pants!
Meaning, in spite of filth, I do something even filthier. Who could have thought that Syria would one day praise Aoun, who caused them so much trouble in the past? Simple formula, they hate March 14 even more.