No Script

Please Wait...

Al-Ahed Telegram

Saniora΄s Candidacy Puts Saida in Turmoil

Saniora΄s Candidacy Puts Saida in Turmoil
folder_openSelected Articles access_time14 years ago
starAdd to favorites

 
Source: Al-Manar TV, 9-4-2009

It was possible to spare Sidon city, southern Lebanon, a severe electoral battle, however Prime Minister's Fouad Saniora's announcement that he will compete in the June parliamentary elections for the Sunni parliamentary seat in the district of Sidon has put the city in a complete turmoil.

Saniora's announcement was met with shocking reactions from across the political spectrum on Wednesday. He announced his candidacy on Tuesday, the last day for candidates to file with the Interior Ministry. As-Safir newspaper said on Tuesday that Saniora was waiting for the head of the Future movement, MP Saad Hariri's final say on whether he should enter the race.

Saniora has led the Lebanese government since 2005, but he has never been elected to Parliament. His move was criticized by political opponents from the March 8 opposition and even questioned by certain Future movement allies.

The Saniora announcement has also concerned a Future movement ally, the Jamaa Islamiya, who could have serious trouble running against two well-known Future candidates.

The group's politburo chief, Ali Sheikh Ammar, said that Saniora's candidacy was an "unfortunate decision and is directly made against my party."

He added that the Jamaa Islamiya was still intent on working with Future, but that MP Saad Hariri would have to move to fix the impasse.

As Safir newspaper for its part quoted a source from Jamaa Islamiya as saying that Saniora's nomination has "turned the equation upside down."

The source said that following Saniora's nomination, the Islamic Grouping called Hariri in Saudi Arabia and "agreement has been reached such as Jamaa Islamiya would support Saniora's nomination in Sidon in return for the nomination of its candidate Imad Hout in Beirut Constituency 3."

Education Minister Bahia Hariri visited the Islamic Grouping at its Sidon headquarters Tuesday evening and held talks with Ammar for hours.

In remarks following the meeting, Hariri denied that Saniora's candidacy would affect relations between the Future Movement and Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya, adding that the group was a big supporter of the prime minister.

As Safir said the two sides agreed that "contacts should be maintained" between the two groups.

Saniora's chief competitor will be Osama Saad, a Nasserite MP aligned with the opposition, who has been one of Sidon's parliamentary deputies for two terms.

Regarding Saniora's candidacy, MP Saad reiterated that the coastal city would witness a "strong electoral battle." In remarks on Wednesday, Saad said he was keen on holding the polls in a calm and stable atmosphere.

In response to Saniora's earlier comments that he wanted to defend Lebanon's sovereignty and independence, Saad said: "Let us remember that it was the resistance that regained the state's sovereignty in most of the country's areas."

In remarks to reporters at Nejmeh Square, Saad also said that his movement's victory would be "a victory for all patriotic Lebanese," adding that he was ready for the electoral battle.

Meanwhile, some people have seen that the Saniora's candidacy has provoked MP Saad's supporters along with those who are seeking agreement in Sidon, and some Sidon circles are talking about messages transferred by merchants and powers to the Future movement in which they warned about dragging the city into an economic rapture with its surrounding in case Saniora won the elections.

A citizen from Sidon said that he "doesn't support Saniora and respects Minister Bahia Hariri yet she must not impose her will on us, this is wrong." He added, "Right after Saniora's candidacy, the traffic was reduced and affected on the trade market, thus how would it be its political face ob the city and the south..?"

Meanwhile, the Tawhid Movement leader Wiam Wahhab said that PM Saniora thinks that he needs some time to burry the republic completely and by his candidacy he is trying to fortify himself with the parliamentary immunities because of his violations, however the voters of Sidon would not abandon Saad's family who has stood by the city in the darkest circumstances and Sidon would not abandon Ossama Saad. Wahhab also warned of the cancellation attempts that has had always bad outcomes.

Within the framework of ongoing preparations for the upcoming parliamentary polls, the Internal Security Forces' South Lebanon department increased its security patrols in several areas in Sidon. Foot and vehicle patrols were conducted across the city.

Comments