From: ayman@eecs.umich.edu (Ayman I. Kayssi)
Subject: Lebanese Christians strike to protest by-elections
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 92 16:01:25 EDT
Organization: The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

[ Article crossposted without permission ]
[ Author was DALAL SAOUD ]
[ Posted on Sat, 10 Oct 92 8:02:49 PDT ]

	BEIRUT, Lebanon (UPI) -- Thousands of Christians began a two-day
general strike Saturday to protest parliamentary elections Sunday in the
Christian heartland of Kesrouwan.
	Businesses, shops and schools shut down in the Christian sector of
Beirut, Kesrouwan and Jbeil, north of the capital. Only pharmacies and
bakeries remained open.
	The strike was called by Christian opposition groups which boycotted
three phases of general elections, the country's first in 20 years,
between Aug. 23 and Sept. 6.
	The polls were originally scheduled for Aug. 30 but were postponed
after all but one candidate withdrew and almost all voters refused to
cast their ballots.
	The opposition, spearheaded by Christian Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah
Sfeir, said the vote would not be fair until Syria withdrew its troops
from Beirut. The vote would be biased in favor of Syrian-backed groups,
they said.
	But following the defeat of some of Syria's main allies in the
earlier rounds, some 22 Christian candidates have announced their
candidacy for Sunday's ballot.
	The candidates, including former Foreign Minister Fares Boueiz, will
compete for five seats on Sunday. Boueiz resigned after his efforts to
postpone the earlier polls failed.
	Preparations for the ballot began despite the strike. Some 7,000
soldiers were deployed in the mountainous areas around Kesrouwan, the
port city of Jounieh and the coastal road linking Beirut to the north.
	Ballot boxes were gathered at the municipal building in Jounieh for
distribution to some 220 polling stations. According to official
statistics, nearly 78,200 people are eligible to vote on Sunday.
	Separately, Christian opposition groups late Friday announced the
launch of the Lebanese Opposition Front, calling on the pro-Syrian
government to correct ``constitutional disorders'' resulting from the
latest general elections.
	The Front included the hardline Lebanese Forces militia of Samir
Geagea, the National Bloc Party of Deputy Raymond Edde in exile in
France since 1977, the National Liberation Party of Dory Chamoun and
followers of exiled Gen. Michel Aoun.
	Although the mainstream Phalange Party boycotted the earlier
elections, it did not become a member of the Front, apparently to keep
open its option of joining a new Cabinet expected to be named soon.
	The Front called on all factions to join its ranks ``for the sake of
straightening up the march of peace, ensuring the right of people and
achieving national reconciliation.''
	It called for peace to be restored between Lebanese factions, and for
all foreign troops to be withdrawn. It also called for the blocking of
any schemes aimed at resettling Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

--
Ayman I. Kayssi                               |    ayman@eecs.umich.edu
EECS Department                               +------------------------
University of Michigan                        |          (313) 764-8033
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon