2009 Saw the End of March 14
Telecoms Minister Gebran Bassil on Tuesday declared 2009 the year of March 14″s demise and called for the amendment of the Taef by carrying out measures that guarantee equal distribution of posts among the sects.
"2005 saw the end of what used to be called Qornet Shahwan and 2009 saw the demise of what used to be known as March 14," Bassil said during a tour of towns in the Batroun district.
Bassil said Lebanon”s revival was only possible through "the revival of state institutions" and said the Taef should be amended "through the actual implementation of the principle of equality."
"They tried to change Lebanon”s demographics and identity. The identity is a combination of the human being and the land. We have begun to change this bitter reality especially with regards to the sale of land (to non-Lebanese) and naturalization," he said.
He said should the minority win the elections it will work toward helping the Lebanese reconnect with their homeland.
"We will seriously work out an approach to reduce public debt by using sectors such as mobile, oil and water to that end and by implementing the ten-year plan to build dams," he pledged.
He also said the minority possessed a scheme to "retrieve land that was sold to Arabs and foreigners."
If after five years the buyer had not invested in the land, he explained, the property will be returned to its original owners.
"Investment in real estate is against the law," Bassil added.