From: medawar@prism.poly.edu (Bassem Medawar)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: Re: European Parliament and the Lebanese legislative elections
Date: 29 Jul 92 18:57:07 GMT
Organization: Polytechnic University, New York

In article <-KV-dv#@engin.umich.edu> hani@ephedra.engin.umich.edu (Hani Abinassif) writes:
[..]
>power always.  The only freely elected deputy is Najah Wakeem.  I remeber 
>people genuinely rallied for his support. While the other 98 members were
>(IMHO) forced on the people.  If the previuos elections allowed for free

Popular myth has it that Najah Wakeem won more popular votes than Saeeb Salam.
That someone had to fix the result in order not to undermine Saeeb.  Wakeem's
popularity was a spillover from the Nasser popularity.  He capitalized on
the popular Nasser sentiment.  Recently, Wakkem has taken some very good
positions in the parliament.  I like him, notwithstanding his Nasseriit
popularity.

[..]
>I am defending the Syrians.  But we did not have any presence of any
>occupying army at the time when corruption was taking place.  This the reason
>why I do not take it seriuosly.  Also, the elections has not taken place
>yet, and if it did maybe will bring some better new faces:-)

The issue is not just one za@iim wining against another one but massive
fraud that brings many zi@raan's to the parliament, tipping the balance in
the parliament in favour of whoever sponsors them.  Previously the issues at 
stake were Salaam vs Solh vs whoever.  The issue today is much more vital it is
our existence as a country: to be or not to be.  Some of the decisions the
new parliament will take will be irreversible.  Once the snowball starts
rolling there is no way to stop it and may take half a century to roll
it back to we are today.  Are you willing to gamble?

>Do you you agree with what the outcome was of the previuos elections?

Fraudulant yes.. but the issue at stake then was personalities... the issue
at stake today is much higher.

>Although I am not sure how the outcome of this election will be, I am sure
>it will be a step towards peace in Lebanon.  I think people are tired of war.

Peace, yes, but at what price?  Freedom of press, freedom of expression?
Do you know that in Syria today it is illegal to own a remote control device
for your TV?  (because it can be used to detonate a bomb)  What else then
is "outlawed"?  Can I own the latest technology of PC's and computer 
peripherals at home?  How much am I giving up when I "elect" a pro Syrian
candidate (forget that I am not allowed to vote in a consulate for the sake of
the argument).

>It is not wise to start another Aoun Tahrir war and destruct the rest of the
>country.

The issue is more fundamental than liberating one area or another.  The issue
is mucking up with the constitution.  There is no point in liberating something
that you give away, is there?

>It is possible that the Syrian presence will intimidate some people like it 
>always did.  But why assume it will have disastereous effects.  

For the reasons I listed above, that the issue today is not personalities.

>Do anything about what?  What is going to happen?  It is an open political
>ground and anything could happen in the Middle East. The same thing took

You can at least voice your opinion, what you stand for, and let others
know about it.  Word of mouth spreads, and letters can be written to influencial
people.  Chances are, it will all lead to nothing, but do you want to go
down without fighting?  Do you want to lay on your back and say, "go ahead 
rape me, I am not going to put up a fight because you are strong" ["you" is
here of course symbolic for every Lebanese.]

>place in Nicaragua, and surprisingly Chomora Won the elections from the
>ruling Sandanista...The same thing could happen in Lebanon. 

In Nicaragua there were international observers and Ortegua REALLY thought
he could win an honest election that is why they had one.  Does the same apply
to Lebanon?

>Is the present alternative a better one?  Should we wait till all troops
>leave Lebanon.  Therefore even the elections of a president is illegal,
>since it took place when foriegn troops were present.

In my opinion, though this is not a general one, elections should happen 
gradually, as each area is emptied from non-Lebanese armies, elections happen
there and the seat for the area in the parliament is filled.

The Syrian army should withdraw to the Bikaa@ in September according to Taif.
That clears the way to hold elections in most of Lebanon except the buffer
zone in the South and the Bikaa@.  Isn't that better?

>> despite my objection, then the election should be monitors by international
>> (Arab and ajam) observers and every Lebanese (of Lebanese nationality)
>> should be allowed to vote wherever he is (in consulate outside Lebanon
>> or where he/she is if he/she is a refugee inside Lebanon).  Is this too much to 
>> ask?
>
>This suggestion is not too much to ask.  I support it.  But let us keep in
>mind that this not the intentions of the European Community, and others.

I rather thought it was, can you clarify how what I said in the pargraph above
is not the intention of the European community resolution I had posted earlier?

Thank you for your feedback.

>
>-Hani

bassem
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon