More parties announce electoral lists as elections race intensifies
Lebanon”s constitutional deadline for withdrawing electoral candidacies passed at midnight on Wednesday, with Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud holding a news conference to announce the final list of candidates. More electoral lists for the June 7 polls were announced on Wednesday, mainly in the Tripoli and Minieh-Dinnieh districts.
Former Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced on Wednesday the March 14 Forces” list in Tripoli, in the presence of Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri. In a massive rally held for the occasion, Mikati said the list was "a symbol that embodies the national aspirations of Tripoli and is a model for establishing national accord."
The Tripoli Solidarity list includes Economy and Trade Minister Mohammad Safadi, MP Samir Jisr, MP Mohammad Kabbara, Ahmad Karami and former Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who are all running for Sunni seats, in addition to Badr Wannous for the Alawite seat, Robert Fadel for the Greek Orthodox seat and Samer Saadeh for the Maronite seat.
Delivering a speech in Tripoli, Hariri said the Tripoli list was the result of "the will of the residents of Tripoli, who believe in Lebanon”s sovereignty and independence."
Hariri had earlier on Wednesday announced the Future Movement”s electoral list for the Minieh-Dinnieh district.
The list includes MPs Ahmad Fatfat, Qassem Abdel-Aziz and Hashem Alameddine.
In a speech in Minieh, Hariri said that "Dinnieh and Minieh complete each other in proving loyalty to the path of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri."
"Every voter knows that this electoral battle is a political battle that can lead to two different directions … we have chosen to build a strong and sovereign state that spreads its authority over all its territories," Hariri said.
Hariri added that Tripoli citizens "stood by the [Lebanese Army] in the Nahr al-Bared battles, and the government should compensate you for all the hardship that you endured."
"On June 7 we will celebrate the victory of the Future Movement and the victory of Ahmad Fatfat, Qassem Abdel-Aziz and Hashem Alameddine," he said.
Also on Wednesday, the Free Patriotic Movement announced its ticket for the Baabda district, which includes Naji Gharios, Hikmat Deeb and Alain Aoun, who are running for the three Maronite seats in Baabda.
Amal candidate for the Shiite seat in Baabda Talal Hatoum withdrew his candidacy in favor of FPM candidate Ramzi Kanj.
Media reports on Wednesday said FPM leader MP Michel Aoun would soon announce the March 8 Forces” lists in the Metn and Jbeil districts.
But Speaker Nabih Berri told As-Safir on Wednesday that the Jezzine lists required further negotiations between him and the Free Patriotic Movement. "We are waiting to reach some tangible solutions," Berri said. Asked whether the disagreements over the Jezzine list have harmed relations between the two politicians, Berri said he respected Aoun, adding that negotiations were ongoing regarding that district.
In other developments, Former Speaker Hussein Husseini withdrew from the electoral race in the district of Baalbek-Hermel on Wednesday. During a news conference, Husseini said: "We have our own vision and agenda and they have their own."
"Our agenda is not forged on a confessional basis; it is based on state-building," he added.
Also on Wednesday, Hizbullah candidate MP Amin Sherri officially withdrew his candidacy for the Shiite seat in the Beirut II district for the upcoming parliamentary elections, in favor of the Shiite Amal Movement candidate for the same seat, Hani Qobessi.
"Since Hizbullah”s leadership is committed to preserving the strength of the [Lebanese national] opposition and its coherence and harmony, especially with the approaching of the elections, I hereby withdraw my candidacy for the Shiite seat in Beirut II in favor of the Amal Movement candidate, Hani Qobeissi," he said.
Sherri also reassured the residents of Beirut that he would continue to communicate with them and work with them to "fortify Lebanon," and support "its Resistance and coexistence."
Meanwhile, Berri met on Wednesday with MP Michel Murr. In remarks after the meeting, Murr said the recent withdrawal of Minister of State Nassib Lahoud from the electoral race would not affect the outcome of the elections in the Metn region. "Lahoud”s withdrawal is due to personal reasons, we have nothing to do with this issue, and this won”t affect either the [electoral] list formation or the election outcome," Murr said.
Murr also met with Premier Fouad Siniora. Addressing reporters after the meeting, Murr urged the media monitoring authority to play its role with media outlets backing the opposition.