As he runs for president, Aoun praises sectarianism

The retired general said Syrian regime should stay, lest chaos prevails in the region

BEIRUT - Alternative Staff

March/April 2006

Kesrouan MP Michel Aoun presented yet another one of his interviews in which he reiterated his candidacy for Lebanon’s presidency describing himself as Lebanon’s sole Christian leader.

Aoun’s comments came in late February during an interview on NBN with Saad Ghoreib. “In the 2005 parliamentary elections, the Christians elected their leader,” he said in reference to what he believes was the Christian election of their long awaited savior, him. “The Christians have been wiped out for 15 years,” he argued saying that the Christian frustration shall not happen again.

The Christian seat, according to Aoun, the presidency, will never be weakened like it used to be during his 15-year exile in France. The General promised his Christian constituents to compensate them for their past agonies.

Ever since he went to exile, Aoun and his party have styled themselves as being secular. But since his return on May 7, 2005, both Aoun and his Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) have styled themselves as the protectors of the nation’s Christian community and its representative. Aoun’s has so far succeeded in rallying the majority of this community behind him at the expense of his secular and national image.

During the interview, Aoun put up a staunch defense of Emile Lahoud, whose mandate was forcedly extended by the Syrian regime in 2005. He attacked the March 14 alliance composed of Beirut MP Saad Hariri’s Future Youth Movement, Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt’s Progressive Socialist Party, the Lebanese Forces, the Democratic Left Movement among several other groups. Aoun argued that all the trouble that was befalling the country was to be blamed on March 14, not Lahoud. Aoun did not say why he exempted Lahoud of the blame except that he was not willing to attack what he called the “Christian seat.”

Aoun said: “We (with Hizbullah) are the opposition and the government is responsible for all what is going on not Lahoud.” Aoun did not justify how he considered Hizbullah to be in the opposition while it has two ministers on the government.

“The one who tells you that Lebanon is not a federation of sects is wrong. Lebanon is consensual democracy and I want it to stay this way,” Aoun said in praising Lebanon’s sectarianism.

“I represent the Christians. Why does Jumblatt represent the Druze and Hizbullah represents the Shiites?” he added.

Aoun dismissed the allegation that one party, Syria, according to the UN investigation, stands behind the 2005 assassinations. “I don’t think the assassinations in 2005 were by one side. It was more than one side and for different purposes.”

“I blame the ministers who didn't attend the cabinet meeting in Mathaf. They are responsible for obstructing governance,” Aoun argued, Yet Aoun failed to blame the Shiite ministers for boycotting the cabinet earlier this year.

Aoun called on Lahoud not to accept the impeachment that the March 14 is drafting. “Stay your grounds,” he said.

Aoun called on Siniora to resign even though in the summer, Aoun and his bloc had voted for Siniora’s cabinet. “To Nasrallah I say that our agreement will bring peace to the Lebanese people and to Saad Hariri I tell him that Lebanon cannot be ruled by one party or by the dictatorship of the majority,” said Aoun who has repeatedly called on the majority to take its responsibilities in ruling the country.

The peak of Aoun’s contradictory statements came when he called on the international community to save the Syrian regime, Aoun’s sworn enemy between 1980s and 2005. “This will bring chaos to Syria, the Middle East and Lebanon.”

“My popularity is much bigger than my parliamentary bloc,” an always arrogant Aoun told his interviewer.