 By: Elias Bejjani The date for electing a new Lebanese president is due within almost four weeks, but up till now only one candidate has come forward and officially declared his candidacy (appointed MP Mr. Botrous Harb) although his chances in being appointed by Syria are less than zero. The major Lebanese parties are silent as if this vital event is a marginal one and taking place in another country. None of them declared a specific presidency platform, adopted or named a candidate. A distinguished clear national stance came from His beatitude Patriarch Nassrallah Sfier. He criticized media, leaders and officials for viciously poisoning people's minds by making them swallow the lie that all Lebanon's presidents were chosen in the past by foreign powers, and not by the Lebanese. Sfier said in one of his recent sermons "The Lebanese people have always elected the presidents they wanted through their legitimate parliament, the role of regional and international powers was extremely limited to supporting one of the candidates who the Lebanese had chosen." General Michel Aoun in a courageous stance stated: Aany president who is appointed by the occupant Syrians under the current imposed status quo will be another Elias Herawi, a subservient and a puppet. Aoun warned the people of Lebanon, that under such ongoing status the worst is yet to come, and on all levels. No sensible Lebanese expects the current puppet regime to deal with this major national event in a different manner or mentality... for who can give what he does not have? These appointed officials are like robots, they have no will or discretion and are fully controlled by Damascus. They have for a long time deleted the word "shame" from their dictionary; their shameful acts, became their virtues. The Syrians have been using and abusing them since 1990 as drums to echo their wishes and as human vehicles to protect their interests. They are void from all ethical and national conductive codes and null from any credibility. What is sarcastic and pitiful is the officials' bizarre interpretations of national facts. Their psychopathic minds, schizophrenic thinking and borderline personalities made them deaf and blind to reality and accordingly fell under the illusion that: People's hatred for them, is love; Humiliation, disgust and disgrace, is admiration for their performance; Abandoning the national decision making process, a service for Arabism; Making Lebanon's South an arena for others' wars, a patriotic act; Stealing the people and impoverishing them, a means of showing power; Drowning the country with foreign debts ($ 26 billions) a vehicle for construction and development; Giving up sovereignty and independence through Syrian imposed brotherly agreements, a national necessity; Oppressing the people and infringing on their human rights, a security measure to maintain national peace; The worst of all is their stance in relation to the presidential election event. The three Syrian-appointed presidents (Herawi, Berri and Hariri), Openly and with no shame stated they have put their confidence in the wisdom of the Syrian president and delegated him to choose the right person for the presidential post. At the same time the 128 MP members (appointed by Syria in massive fraudulent election in 1996) whose legislative role assumably is to elect the president, have given up this role, to the Syrian authorities. Their role has been limited to utter "Yes sir, naam seidy" and vote by raising their hands according to the Syrians' directions (faramans) received in the last 24 hours. All hands that are raised to serve the occupants interests on Lebanon's account must be amputated. Political parties members in the current regime, or in the disguised opposition, are as quilty as other subservient officials in regards to the presidential election. Their camouflaged opposition role covering the regime's enslaved stance and treason is giving the Syrians more power to manipulate the event and maintain their military hegemony over the whole country. They proved to be opportunists, selfish, with double standards and non-Lebanese in heart, mind and spirit. Under the umbrella of the "National movement" all these parties supported Arafat (PLO Chairman) in his Mafia-like war against Lebanon and turned against him after he and his PLO were forced out of the country. These parties gave Israel the justifications to occupy South Lebanon and sided with the Syrians to conquer and oppress the rest of the country. Leaders of these treacherous parties are addicted to subserviencey, humiliation and double standards. They practice exactly the opposite of what they preach. Lebanon with them in office will never be liberated. Free and patriotic Lebanese in occupied Lebanon and in Diaspora are fully aware of the vicious presidential scheme written, produced and directed by Syria. They all publicly and bravely refuse to take any part in this charade of treason. They hold all those who do so, because of ignorance or collaboration, no difference, fully responsible for the national devastating consequences. There will be no hope for change as long as Syria and Israel maintain their mutual consensual orchestrated occupation for our beloved country. We Lebanon's free sons and daughters refuse to be a cover for a Syrian appointed president. We call on our proud people, friends, supporters and democratic communities all over the world to boycott the presidential charade and declare any appointed president, a traitor. We call on Lebanon's patriotic leadership to take the necessary steps for a peaceful revolution, a massive national rebellious movement and the formation of a government in exile. We call on the religious leaders in general and on Maronite Patriarch Sfier in particular to boycott the regime openly, close Bekerke's main doors and refuse to meet with any official, including the appointed Syrian-president. Lebanon the 6000 year- deep rooted history and civilization, Lebanon the 10452 m2, Lebanon the Cedars' holy land, Lebanon the coexistence, pluralism, freedoms and democracy, Lebanon who gave the world the first Alphabet and philosophers and leaders like Gibran, king Heram, Hannibal, Charles Malek, Al Ossahi, Bashir Jemayel, Youssef Karam, Fakereddin and many, many others... this Lebanon is dying. Let us all take one stance, unite and fight to stop the imminent disaster; let us all work for the liberation of our beloved Lebanon. Let us boycott the imposed regime and any appointed president. Long Live the Free National Current Long Live Free Lebanon. |