Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman on the Lebanese Elections

BAN CONFERS ON PEACEFUL POLLS WITH LEBANESE LEADERS‏

New York, Jun 9 2009 4:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been discussing this weekend's peaceful parliamentary elections with Lebanese political leaders, expressing his hope that a new Government will be set up speedily.

In separate telephone calls this morning, Mr. Ban spoke with President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Saad Hariri, leader of the 14 March coalition.

The Secretary-General "congratulated them on the elections and expressed the hope that the formation of the new government will proceed expeditiously and that it will take place in a calm and secure environment," UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York.

Mr. Ban also told the three men that he is counting on the new Government to fully implement Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbollah.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson yesterday, he congratulated Lebanon on the Sunday elections, urging all Lebanese people to cooperate "in the spirit of coexistence and democracy."

The Secretary-General also called on "all Lebanese to respect the results," voicing hope that "the process of government formation will commence expeditiously and that it will take place in a calm and secure environment."

Both yesterday's polls and the formation of a new Government "represent further important steps along the path of the revitalization of the State's political institutions," the statement added.

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New York, 8 June 2009 - Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on Lebanese Parliamentary Elections

The Secretary-General congratulates the people of Lebanon and all Lebanese parties and institutions concerned on the peaceful conduct of the parliamentary elections. He calls on all Lebanese to respect the results and urges them to work together in the spirit of coexistence and democracy. The Secretary-General hopes that the process of government formation will commence expeditiously and that it will take place in a calm and secure environment.

Yesterday's elections and the formation of a new government in the coming period represent further important steps along the path of the revitalisation of the State's political institutions. The Secretary-General looks forward to the full consolidation of Lebanon's sovereignty, stability, unity and political independence in accordance with the Taif Accord and relevant Security Council resolutions.

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U.S. Department Of State Press Release, Lebanese Elections.

Ian Kelly

Department Spokesman, Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

June 8, 2009

 

The United States congratulates the Lebanese people for carrying out a peaceful national election yesterday, a critical step towards Lebanon's rightful achievement of true independence and sovereignty. We will continue to support a sovereign and independent Lebanon.

We commend the Lebanese voters who turned out in impressive numbers on election day. We also congratulate the Lebanese authorities, including the armed forces and police, who assured the security necessary for voters to exercise their rights. In addition, several observer missions from the United States and elsewhere observed the elections, including the National Democratic Institute and the Carter Center. Their initial reports indicate the elections were carried out fairly.

With the voting over, the process of forming a government and developing a government program now begins. That is a process for Lebanese to carry out, in accordance with the election results and without outside interference. We look forward to working with the next government and hope it will continue along the path toward building a sovereign and stable Lebanon that is committed to peace, including full implementation of all United Nations Security Council resolutions.

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Statement by the President regarding the elections in Lebanon

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, June 8, 2009

I congratulate the people of Lebanon for holding a peaceful election yesterday.  The high turnout and the candidates – too many of whom know personally the violence that has marred Lebanon – are the strongest indications yet of the Lebanese desire for security and prosperity. Once more, the people of Lebanon have demonstrated to the world their courage and the strength of their commitment to democracy.
The United States will continue to support a sovereign and independent Lebanon, committed to peace, including the full implementation of all United Nations Security Council Resolutions.  It is our sincere hope that the next government will continue along the path towards building a sovereign, independent and stable Lebanon.  
Government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who hold power: you must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party.  Commitment to these principles of peace and moderation are the best means to secure a sovereign and prosperous Lebanon.

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Pro-Western bloc trounce Hezbollah in Lebanon vote

BEIRUT (AFP) — A pro-Western bloc inflicted a surprise defeat on Hezbollah and its allies at the ballot box in Lebanon, according to final results on Monday, but the winner faces a battle to keep the nation together.

The coalition headed by Saad Hariri, son of slain ex-premier Rafiq, widened its majority in the 128-seat parliament to 71 seats, against 57 for Hezbollah and its Shiite and Christian allies, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said.

"This is a big day in the history of democratic Lebanon," a triumphant Hariri, now being tipped by some as a possible premier, told his supporters after Sunday's vote.

But analysts and newspapers are questioning whether the rival factions will be able to form a unity government and ensure Lebanon is not plunged into a renewed cycle of political instability and sectarian violence.

Despite its defeat, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah -- the "Party of God" blacklisted by the United States as a terrorist organisation -- remains a potent political force and the nation's strongest military group.

And it delivered a blunt warning that its mighty arsenal, which it says is vital for "resistance" to Israel, was not up for discussion.

"Lebanon has entered a new phase today," said Paul Salem, head of the Beirut-based Middle East Carnegie Centre. "The question is, once the government is formed what kind of challenge will it face?"

Police and soldiers had moved out in force in sensitive areas after Sunday's election for fear of fighting between rivals, but no major incidents were reported after political leaders appealed for calm.

The outcome is being closely watched by Lebanon's neighbours and the international community, with the country already scarred by years of war, sectarian strife and damaging political crises.

Former colonial power France called on all factions to continue to work together as they have since the formation of a government of national unity in July last year.

"France, a friend of all Lebanese people, hopes that the climate of dialogue that has prevailed over the past year will continue in the interest of stability and of the unity of Lebanon as a whole," a foreign ministry statement said.

Israel, which fought a devastating war with Hezbollah guerrillas in 2006, said the new government must act to prevent attacks from its soil.

"It is incumbent upon any government that is formed in Beirut to ensure that Lebanon will not be used as a base for violence against the state of Israel and against Israelis," the foreign ministry said.

Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, whose Amal party is allied with Hezbollah, said he "fully accepted" the result of the vote, while Christian ally, the Free Patriotic Movement of wartime general Michel Aoun, also acknowledged defeat.

One member of the Hezbollah alliance said it appeared voters had been spooked by fears that the Shiite Muslim group could impose an Islamist state.

Newspapers in former powerbroker Syria accused Hariri's coalition of fraud and vote-buying but did not comment directly on the outcome.

Voters had turned out in force for one of Lebanon's most crucial elections, a key test of whether it would continue on a pro-Western path or tilt towards Shiite Iran.

Preliminary estimates put turnout at more than 54 percent of the 3.2 million electorate, the highest since at least the end of the 1975-91 civil war.

Under Lebanon's complex power-sharing system, seats are divided equally between majority Muslims and minority Christians, who make up about a third of the four-million population.

Former US president Jimmy Carter, heading a team of international observers, said he hoped Lebanon's political parties and their foreign backers would accept the results.

The current majority swept to power in 2005 on a wave of popular anger following the assassination of Rafiq Hariri in a Beirut car bombing which propelled businessman Saad Hariri into the rough and tumble of politics.

The murder was widely blamed on former power-broker Syria, which denied any involvement, and the ensuing public outcry led to Damascus withdrawing its troops from Lebanon after a 29-year presence.

US Transportation Minister Ray Lahoud arrives in Lebanon

NNA - 07/06/2009 The US Transportation Minister, Ray Lahoud, arrived in Lebanon today to take part in the observation of the Lebanese parliamentary elections and to assure as well the US administration's support to Lebanon

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Patriarch Sfeir: Lebanese Entity is Threatened, Changing Lebanon's Face Should be Thwarted

Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir said that Lebanon is facing a threat to entity and Arab identity. The patriarch added that this danger should receivedue attention.
The patriarch stressed, "national duty calls on all of us to be aware of what is being planned. We must work hard on thwarting all attempts that if successful could change the face of Lebanon."
He called on all Lebanese to pay attention to such dangers and to "adopt courageous stances that would further establish our Lebanese identity and maintain Lebanon as a free country filled with moral virtues, full sovereignty and achieved independence."

Election of staff and poll workers ends in Beirut

The electoral procedure for the staff and poll workers in the three Beirut
districts ended at 7:00 p.m. Thursday night in Biel in Beirut. Seventy-four
of the 77 registered voters took part in the Beirut I district, 102 out of
118 voters in the Beirut II district, and 346 out of 386 voters in the
Beirut III district.
The ballot boxes were transferred to Bank of Lebanon with security forces
and a judicial escort. The boxes will be returned to Biel for counting,
Sunday night in the same way.
source: nowlebanon.com

Massive Forgery of Identity Cards Uncovered ahead of Elections

Between 4,000 and 10,000 forged identity cards in the Zahle, Baabda, Western
Bekaa and south Lebanon districts remain prime concern for judicial police
only three days ahead of decisive parliamentary elections.
Media reports said Interior Minister Ziad Baroud was sparing no effort to
find a mechanism to combat fraud.
source: naharnet.com

Interior Ministry Ban on Rallies in Places of Worship

N.N.A. 21/5/2009 Ministry of the Interior,has imposed a ban on holding electoral campaigns in places of worship and public places deemed unacceptable to the law citing to this effect the decree dated on April 30,2009 and article 73 of the electoral law. However,and with respect to religious endowment properties and annexes,the ministry left it the respective religious authorities concerned to decide as to the feasibility of using them for electoral purposes or not

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