MP Sami Gemayel calls for early elections to end crisis

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During a press conference on Wednesday Lebanese MP Sami Gemayel who represents the Phalange party in the parliament called for early parliamentary elections stressing that this will be the best democratic solution for ending the current crisis.

“I call for early parliamentary elections, let the people say their word,” Gemayel adding “this will be the best democratic solution for the current crisis and will put an end to the street violence “.

He said “people will be able to choose between justice and injustice, between the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and insecurity, between a stable and prosperous Lebanon versus confrontations with the international community “.

Gemayel said :“I have been MP for 1 year; I have been called for 3 parliamentary sessions only, 2 of which never took place due to internal differences,” he noted.

Commenting on the Lebanese crisis Gemayel said the events that took place in the past week, and the parliamentary consultations were part of a planned project that started in 2006 when the Shiite ministers resigned from ( former PM Fouad ) Siniora’s cabinet.. followed by the closing of the parliament…. followed by the sit-in in downtown Beirut to bring down the government …followed by the May 2008 uprising (when Hezbollah and its allies occupied the western part of Beirut and attacked Mt Lebanon ) , and most recently the pressure exerted on certain blocs to change allegiance .” a possible reference to MP Walid Jumblatt and his former Democratic Gathering bloc.

Gemayel blamed his allies in March 14 alliance for the concessions they have been offering during the past years to protect civil peace and to avoid taking to the streets.

“March 14 offered concessions after concessions …..when it accepted Nabih Berri as speaker of parliament, when it accepted to offer March 8 a blocking third in the government and when it approved the ministerial statement….This was in addition to the concessions offered over the Saudi-Syrian compromise,” Gemayel said

“The people feel betrayed and stabbed in the back” he said but stressed that “this does not justify the acts of violence” adding that “violence is not part of the March 14 culture and beliefs.”

Gemayel also called for a ‘Beirut’ conference to discuss all agreements and to resolve all conflicting and pending issues such as the illegal weapons and for restoring confidence amongst the Lebanese .

“Let us be responsible, the TAEF, Doha and Saudi-Syrian compromise did not solve our crisis… the problem is the lack of confidence among Lebanese,” he explained.

“We are at a crossroads, either we solve the problems once and for all, or we go for another temporary compromise and the problems never get solved ,” he added.

Commenting on Najib Mikati Gemayel expressed hope that the PM Designate came as consensus candidate , but he warned :

“ If the cabinet decides to give up on international justice, we will face the decision by taking to the streets (referring to the Phalange party). We will not compromise our martyrs, and we refuse to give legitimacy to weapons outside the Lebanese Armed Forces .”

MP Sami Gemayel is the brother of the late Pierre Gemayel ,the former Lebanese MP and Minister of Industry who was assassinated on November 21, 2006 few days after Hezbollah and Amal Cabinet ministers resigned from the Lebanese government of former PM Fouad Siniora.

Mikati, backed by Hezbollah and its March 8 allies , was appointed Tuesday by president Michel Suleiman as PM-designate to form and head the next cabinet , giving Hezbollah and its allies increased leverage in the country and provoking widespread protests.

Mikati did confirm that he was nominated to protect Hezbollah. He told AFP on Tuesday : “My nomination by Hezbollah does not make me committed to any political stance other than protecting the Resistance.” This was a possible reference to Hezbollah’s five point plan.

Hezbollah brought down Hariri’s government on January 12 over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s ( STL) indictment which is widely expected to implicate Hezbollah members in the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri in 2005 .

According to analysts the issue in Lebanon is not who is Mikati as much as how did Mikati get nominated and by whom.

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44 responses to “MP Sami Gemayel calls for early elections to end crisis”

  1. Hannibal Avatar

    This is a man with balls and a conscience.

    1. PROPHET.T Avatar

      Hannibal,
      Not sure that M14 can win a majority if election is held right now,even with the existing election law.
      That being said, If the M8 had the majority,and they lost it because a party or a group decided to switch sides, Would Gemayel accept a call for new election? Would you call a M8 member “a man with balls and conscience” if He called for a new election?
      Throughout the entire world, party switching takes place, But no one calls for early election because of that. What normally happens is that The person who had switched sides, either looses or wins on the next scheduled election.
      I’m sure you remember the case of Joe Liberman of Ct,and Alren specter of PA. The first prevailed ,while the second
      didn’t even make it to the November general election.
      We can’t keep asking for change of rules to suit individuals ,or to change situations that don’t suit some.

      1. FormerLebanese Avatar
        FormerLebanese

        Prohphet T,

        You are absolutely right and thats how “DEMOCRATIC” systems go, politicians have the right by all means to change sides any time of the day and twice on the weekend. Politicians were elected by their constituency and are representetives of them and them alone. Their job which seem to have been forgotten in Lebanon is to represent them not the other way around.

        The Lebanese political system is FAR from being a fair political system. We have seen during the last 5 years that it is pretty simple, some how the majority was losing numbers in Parliament not because they were switching sides, but some how they were being assassinated. The idea of being threatened to change your vote to fit some faction with weapons is not a far fetched one, they have shown time and time again that they will not hesitate on using these weapons to impose their demands on the majority regardless of the political system in place.

        At the end of the day, there is no such thing as a democractic system when you have 2 party system and one of them is pointing the gun to your head everytime you say something they don’t approve of, or is against them.

        I am ALL for re-election, but that not to happen until HA and ALL other parties in Lebanon disarmed, until than we will have to sit and wait until someone from the West have the balls to confront the Iranian Syrian plans for Lebanon.

      2. Hannibal Avatar

        Remove the weapons (and the money, because money is a weapon in disguise) and I assure you HA would not stand a chance. You speak of change yet I am sure you are aware that Shia families are getting paid for every woman head that gets covered with a veil. If you call that freedom I beg to differ. When one is poor and choosing between covering the head of the women in his household or starving he most definitely would choose covering up. That is akin a weapon is held to one’s head. Now if you have doubt, any doubt that the Syrians committed those crimes in Lebanon, no matter whose Lebanese hand they used, you are more gullible than I thought, and if you want to continue to see our leaders slaughtered how long before the knife reaches the neck of those who executed the crimes in their behalf? Ask Moughnieh, he would tell you if the dead would speak.

        1. PROPHET.T Avatar

          Hannibal,
          You know by now that I don’t have much to do with religion practices. But your suggestion that women are getting paid for to wear Hijaab is way off. So, I strongly disagree with you on this.
          Not in defense of HA, but to be fair and factual, One way HA was able to attract people to his side is the social programs, and the assistance programs they have. Everyone knows; hjjab or not, people are getting assistance regardless.
          I have many issues with their practices and the way they distribute their assistance, but I have never heard of anything like you suggested about people getting paid for Hijjab.
          Just to give you more information, young people are dancing the night away, and getting drunk on cheap French wine(to my own surprise on my last trip ) all over nightclubs in the south, No one is interfering.
          As for Syria’s crimes, you should know better than to accuse me of covering or denying Syria’s crimes in Lebanon. You and I have been there many times. All you need to do is read our past exchanges regarding this subject.
          Why would you think that I want to see our leaders killed? Where did you get this from? Show me any comment I ever made that would give you that idea? I honestly find this suggestion a bit offensive.

        2. Hannibal Avatar

          Prophet,
          That is where lies the problem… You follow your sect as qabaa’eli in a sense that if you were to be born Sunni you’d have followed Hariri. It has nothing to do with being religious or not. You can’t see beyond your birth as much as I cannot see beyond mine. This business of ta3aayosh is bullcrap. The Christians fit amongst moslems in the middle east as much as the moslems are fitting in the Christian West. Israel won long time ago and their existence as a jewish state is more justified than anytime in the history of man. Mark my word a sweeping change will happen in the Middle East and Christians have no future there unless they become Moslems (not necessarily in the heart) just on the outside until the next generation is born into islam. A nonreligious East won’t happen actually it is increasing. Now do not hope for peace because they will always find a way to dig out their past and find something to fight about like the legitimacy of some idiotic fool who lived in the past and said this or that or whether he comes from the lineage of Mohammed or Ali or God knows who.
          Offended or not, my words are as real as the situation on the ground.

        3. PROPHET.T Avatar

          Hannibal, You sound agitated today. You are moving from one topic to another without period marks, like you want to blow steam,I like you,and respect your intellect regardless of whether I always see eye to eye with you.
          I can’t disagree much with what you said about the middle east,We’ve been there too.
          You really don’t know me as much as you think, Just because I follow development in the south,it does not mean I follow my sect.No matter how much a person tries to move away from sectarianism, the minute you disagree with someone, they throw the sect back on you.That is exactly what you have just done.
          There is no denial that Lebanese generally see each other in terms of a person’s sect whether that person wants to or not.

        4. Hannibal Avatar

          Prophet
          I am agitated about your delusions or is it delirium?

        5. PROPHET.T Avatar

          Fine, be cynical now. np

  2. Hannibal Avatar

    This is a man with balls and a conscience.

    1. PROPHET.T Avatar

      Hannibal,
      Not sure that M14 can win a majority if election is held right now,even with the existing election law.
      That being said, If the M8 had the majority,and they lost it because a party or a group decided to switch sides, Would Gemayel accept a call for new election? Would you call a M8 member “a man with balls and conscience” if He called for a new election?
      Throughout the entire world, party switching takes place, But no one calls for early election because of that. What normally happens is that The person who had switched sides, either looses or wins on the next scheduled election.
      I’m sure you remember the case of Joe Liberman of Ct,and Alren specter of PA. The first prevailed ,while the second
      didn’t even make it to the November general election.
      We can’t keep asking for change of rules to suit individuals ,or to change situations that don’t suit some.

      1. Hannibal Avatar

        Remove the weapons (and the money, because money is a weapon in disguise) and I assure you HA would not stand a chance. You speak of change yet I am sure you are aware that Shia families are getting paid for every woman head that gets covered with a veil. If you call that freedom I beg to differ. When one is poor and choosing between covering the head of the women in his household or starving he most definitely would choose covering up. That is akin a weapon is held to one’s head. Now if you have doubt, any doubt that the Syrians committed those crimes in Lebanon, no matter whose Lebanese hand they used, you are more gullible than I thought, and if you want to continue to see our leaders slaughtered how long before the knife reaches the neck of those who executed the crimes in their behalf? Ask Moughnieh, he would tell you if the dead would speak.

        1. Hannibal Avatar

          Prophet
          I am agitated about your delusions or is it delirium?

        2. PROPHET.T Avatar

          Fine, be cynical now. np

  3. This is a man with balls and a conscience.

    1. PROPHET.T Avatar

      Hannibal,
      Not sure that M14 can win a majority if election is held right now,even with the existing election law.
      That being said, If the M8 had the majority,and they lost it because a party or a group decided to switch sides, Would Gemayel accept a call for new election? Would you call a M8 member “a man with balls and conscience” if He called for a new election?
      Throughout the entire world, party switching takes place, But no one calls for early election because of that. What normally happens is that The person who had switched sides, either looses or wins on the next scheduled election.
      I’m sure you remember the case of Joe Liberman of Ct,and Alren specter of PA. The first prevailed ,while the second
      didn’t even make it to the November general election.
      We can’t keep asking for change of rules to suit individuals ,or to change situations that don’t suit some.

      1.  Avatar

        Prohphet T,

        You are absolutely right and thats how “DEMOCRATIC” systems go, politicians have the right by all means to change sides any time of the day and twice on the weekend. Politicians were elected by their constituency and are representetives of them and them alone. Their job which seem to have been forgotten in Lebanon is to represent them not the other way around.

        The Lebanese political system is FAR from being a fair political system. We have seen during the last 5 years that it is pretty simple, some how the majority was losing numbers in Parliament not because they were switching sides, but some how they were being assassinated. The idea of being threatened to change your vote to fit some faction with weapons is not a far fetched one, they have shown time and time again that they will not hesitate on using these weapons to impose their demands on the majority regardless of the political system in place.

        At the end of the day, there is no such thing as a democractic system when you have 2 party system and one of them is pointing the gun to your head everytime you say something they don’t approve of, or is against them.

        I am ALL for re-election, but that not to happen until HA and ALL other parties in Lebanon disarmed, until than we will have to sit and wait until someone from the West have the balls to confront the Iranian Syrian plans for Lebanon.

      2. Remove the weapons (and the money, because money is a weapon in disguise) and I assure you HA would not stand a chance. You speak of change yet I am sure you are aware that Shia families are getting paid for every woman head that gets covered with a veil. If you call that freedom I beg to differ. When one is poor and choosing between covering the head of the women in his household or starving he most definitely would choose covering up. That is akin a weapon is held to one’s head. Now if you have doubt, any doubt that the Syrians committed those crimes in Lebanon, no matter whose Lebanese hand they used, you are more gullible than I thought, and if you want to continue to see our leaders slaughtered how long before the knife reaches the neck of those who executed the crimes in their behalf? Ask Moughnieh, he would tell you if the dead would speak.

        1. PROPHET.T Avatar

          Hannibal,
          You know by now that I don’t have much to do with religion practices. But your suggestion that women are getting paid for to wear Hijaab is way off. So, I strongly disagree with you on this.
          Not in defense of HA, but to be fair and factual, One way HA was able to attract people to his side is the social programs, and the assistance programs they have everyone knows; hjjab or not, people are getting assistance regardless.
          I have many issues with their practices and the way they distribute their assistance, but I have never heard of anything like you suggested about people getting paid for Hijjab.
          Just to give you more information, young people are dancing the night away, and getting drunk on cheap French wine(to my own surprise on my last trip ) all over nightclubs in the south, No one is interfering.
          As for Syria’s crimes, you should know better than to accuse me of covering or denying Syria’s crimes in Lebanon. You and I have been there many times. All you need to do is read our past exchanges regarding this subject.
          Why would you think that I want to see our leaders killed? Where did you get this from? Show me any comment I ever made that would give you that idea? I honestly find this suggestion a bit offensive.

        2. Prophet,
          That is where lies the problem… You follow your sect as qabaa’eli in a sense that if you were to be born Sunni you’d have followed Hariri. It has nothing to do with being religious or not. You can’t see beyond your birth as much as I cannot see beyond mine. This business of ta3aayosh is bullcrap. The Christians fit amongst moslems in the middle east as much as the moslems are fitting in the Christian West. Israel won long time ago and their existence as a jewish state is more justified than anytime in the history of man. Mark my word a sweeping change will happen in the Middle East and Christians have no future there unless they become Moslems (not necessarily in the heart) just on the outside until the next generation is born into islam. A nonreligious East won’t happen actually it is increasing. Now do not hope for peace because they will always find a way to dig out their past and find something to fight about like the legitimacy of some idiotic fool who lived in the past and said this or that or whether he comes from the lineage of Mohammed or Ali or God knows who.
          Offended or not, my words are as real as the situation on the ground.

        3. PROPHET.T Avatar

          Hannibal, You sound agitated today. You are moving from one topic to another without period marks, like you want to blow steam,I like you,and respect your intellect regardless of whether I always see eye to eye with you.
          I can’t disagree much with what you said about the middle east,We’ve been there too.
          You really don’t know me as much as you think, Just because I follow development in the south,it does not mean I follow my sect.No matter how much a person tries to move away from sectarianism, the minute you disagree with someone, they throw the sect back on you.That is exactly what you have just done.
          There is no denial that Lebanese generally see each other in terms of a person’s sect whether that person wants to or not.

        4. Prophet
          I am agitated about your delusions or is it delirium?

        5. PROPHET.T Avatar

          Fine, be cynical now. np

  4. Mosetsfire Avatar
    Mosetsfire

    This is the best suggestion we have heard yet.

  5. This is the best suggestion we have heard yet.

  6. Haya fat el Kataebi , just protect yourself from the Hizbolla and Syrian / Iranian and all SOB that Lebanon have they count in thousands if not millions

  7. Haya fat el Kataebi , just protect yourself from the Hizbolla and Syrian / Iranian and all SOB that Lebanon have they count in thousands if not millions

  8. Haya fat el Kataebi , just protect yourself from the Hizbolla and Syrian / Iranian and all SOB that Lebanon have they count in thousands if not millions

  9. get rid of all Khameinis in Iran

  10. Solution is get rid of the Assad regime

  11. get rid of all Khameinis in Iran

  12. Solution is get rid of the Assad regime

  13. get rid of all Khameinis in Iran

  14. leb_expatriate Avatar
    leb_expatriate

    Fresh election is a good idea. Jumblatt start packing for your indefinite holiday in Syria.

  15. leb_expatriate Avatar
    leb_expatriate

    Fresh election is a good idea. Jumblatt start packing for your indefinite holiday in Syria.

  16.  Avatar

    Fresh election is a good idea. Jumblatt start packing for your indefinite holiday in Syria.

  17. Some of the posts show immaturity. I do not support any foreign intervention no matter what color it is. Reality is completely different. If it wasn’t for Syria and HA, the Christians in Lebanon would not have a church to attend. We do have a major role to play in Lebanon. The big cause of what is going on is the Taif accords. The Sunnis allied with the Syrians to get more power to the PM position away from the president. Well they got more power, now they don’t know what to do with it.
    Aoun opposed this accord alone, one of his major conditions when he was negotiating with the Syrians and HA (memorandum of understanding) was the reversal of this accord. After 20 years of experimenting with TA, it failed. So let’s go back and reinstate these powers to the president. Before that happens we need Aoun to be a dictator for 2 years. PROBLEM SOLOVED

    1. Hannibal Avatar

      We do not have a major role in Lebanon because of the infighting amongst the christians. The whole of Lebanon is a mazra3a.

  18.  Avatar

    Some of the posts show immaturity. I do not support any foreign intervention no matter what color it is. Reality is completely different. If it wasn’t for Syria and HA, the Christians in Lebanon would not have a church to attend. We do have a major role to play in Lebanon. The big cause of what is going on is the Taif accords. The Sunnis allied with the Syrians to get more power to the PM position away from the president. Well they got more power, now they don’t know what to do with it.
    Aoun opposed this accord alone, one of his major conditions when he was negotiating with the Syrians and HA (memorandum of understanding) was the reversal of this accord. After 20 years of experimenting with TA, it failed. So let’s go back and reinstate these powers to the president. Before that happens we need Aoun to be a dictator for 2 years. PROBLEM SOLOVED

    1. We do not have a major role in Lebanon because of the infighting amongst the christians. The whole of Lebanon is a mazra3a.

  19. Sami dude (BTW we share the same first name), you need to wake up before you start talking. You alway look like you just woke up ….. Take a shower man.

  20.  Avatar

    Sami dude (BTW we share the same first name), you need to wake up before you start talking. You alway look like you just woke up ….. Take a shower man.

  21.  Avatar

    Sami dude (BTW we share the same first name), you need to wake up before you start talking. You alway look like you just woke up ….. Take a shower man.

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