LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِMay 11/2010

Bible Of the Day /Lazarus Miracle
John 11/35-44: "Jesus wept. 11:36 The Jews therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!” 11:37 Some of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?” 11:38 Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 11:39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 11:40 Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?” 11:41 So they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, “Father, I thank you that you listened to me. 11:42 I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude that stands around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” 11:43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 11:44 He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth.
Jesus said to them, “Free him, and let him go.”

 

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Missing the point/Now Lebanon/May 10/10
A last chance for the peace process/Daily Star/May 10/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 10/10
Nadim Gemayel says voters rejected Aoun’s policies/Now Lebanon
Cassese says STL can penetrate state sovereignty/Now Lebanon
Beirut Christian Mayors: 25 for March 14, 15 for Aoun-Tashnag Alliance/Naharnet
Skaff-Backed 'Zahle Decision' List Wins 19 Members /Naharnet
Hariri Thanks Beirutis for 'Preserving Coexistence /Naharnet
Suleiman Urges Political Leaders to Accept Election Results /Naharnet
Families Penetrate Hizbullah-AMAL Alliance in Northern Bekaa /Naharnet
Election watchdog reports bribery in Beirut, Bekaa polls /Daily Star
Zahle sees high turnout amid 'poll breaches/Daily Star
Interior Ministry wins UN Public Service Award /Daily Star
Lebanon awaits results of second round of polls /Daily Star
Rival Zahle lists claim victory, cite vote-buying/Daily Star
Sleiman says he won't ask Hizbullah to disarm/Daily Star
Lebanon should secure weapons for deterrence purposes - Berri /Daily Star
Lebanon bags hummus, falafel Guinness World Records in food fight with Israel/AFP
Sfeir, Abdullah lay Jordan's St Maroun Church cornerstone/Daily Star
Man wanted for imprisoning, beating wife and her son/AFP
Beirut sees low voter turnout/By Dalila Mahdawi and Wassim Mroueh /Daily Star
Jumblat Calls on Mt. Lebanon Prosecutor, Security Officials to Resign over Ketermaya Lynching/Naharnet
Medvedev visits Syria in attempt to revive ties/Now Lebanon

Election watchdog reports bribery in Beirut, Bekaa polls
By The /Daily Star /Monday, May 10, 2010
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) reported on Sunday several violations, mainly bribery, during the municipal elections in Beirut and the Bekaa but stressed that the process was calm and organized. /Naharnet
LADE had 160 volunteer supervisors working in Beirut and about 400 working in the Bekaa who reported that the general ambiance in the two regions was calm and organized.
However, the supervisors noted fierce competition in the city of Zahle and counted a great number of bribery cases and vote buying. “Members of electoral mechanisms were clearly and collectively bribing voters,” LADE said in a statement.
The association mentioned the behavior did not exclude any list of candidates and the Interior Ministry was informed of the violations. LADE called on the ministry to take immediate action to limit the phenomenon and it urged Zahle locals not to respond to bribery attempts.
Another violation was noted in Baalbek when the qaimaqam of Hermel extended the deadline of withdrawing candidacies. This led to two main problems, according to LADE’s statement.
Locals in the town of Ramasa were surprised on the day of the elections that a municipal council had been elected and had won unopposed after candidates withdrew their participation overnight. Election officials at polling stations were not informed and had all their equipments prepared.
In Brital the voting process was delayed due to confusion in the number of participating candidates. One list claimed it won uncontested and tried to convince polling station officials to leave.
However opposing candidates arrived to the site and confirmed they had not withdrawn from the race.
As for security, the association confirmed there was “great improvement in the work of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) inside polling stations.”
Nonetheless, it mentioned that a fight broke out between the Lebanese Army and a supporter of a candidate in Riyaq and that LADE supervisors were hassled in some villages where delegates had “negative attitudes.” It counted six violent acts inside or around polling stations.
LADE also condemned the lack of preparation to meet the needs of disabled people. “Only 10 percent of polling stations were equipped to facilitate voting for voters with special needs,” it said. It added that supervisors witnessed 65 cases of promoting for candidates in polling stations: 40 cases in Beirut and 25 in the Bekaa.
They also counted nine cases where people were pressured to vote and four cases where ISF members or an official interfered in the election process: one in Beirut and three in the Bekaa.
Other observations made by the election watchdog included: the majority of polling stations, 96 percent, opened on time at 7 am; 96 percent of polling stations had all their equipment ready when they opened and curtains were placed in a manner to provide privacy; and all officials were ready at opening hour in 97 percent of polling stations. – The Daily Star

Zahle sees high turnout amid 'poll breaches'
Former FPM MP Salim Aoun says many party supporters cast votes for Skaff’s list

By Patrick Galey and Elias Sakr
Daily Star staff
Monday, May 10, 2010
ZAHLE: A high voter turnout in the battleground town of Zahle was marred on Sunday by security breaches and violations of electoral law.
The polls were held under the watchful eye of Lebanese Army Intelligence Services, but several reports emerged of vote-buying at busy polling stations and at least two cars were vandalized by unidentified assailants.
Zahle was billed as one of the municipal elections’ most fiercely fought districts, with three lists vying for support among a divided electorate.
“The Zahle Decision,” headed by Joseph al-Maalouf and backed by former MP Elias Skaff was pitted against the March 14-supported “The Vision and Development List of Zahle,” fronted by incumbent Mayor Asaad Zgheib. The “Sons of Zahle List,” headed by retired army Brigadier Walid Choueiri, also contested the vote.
With the tussle for votes unfolding, flare-ups occurred throughout the day.
The National News Agency (NNA) reported that windows of a car carrying a portrait of Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir had been smashed in the town. The Daily Star saw a similar incident occur close to Skaff’s home.
In addition, allegations of vote-buying were rife.
The office of Samir Malo, a Zahle Decision candidate, meters away from a polling station, was thronged with people presenting their identification cards and being led inside. Those who were refused were told: “No, you can’t vote. You are not eligible to vote, let me get back to you,” by a man sporting a Zahle Decision cap. The Daily Star was removed from the premises and told: “There is nothing happening downstairs.”
Walid Toumma, running on an opposing list, said vote-buying was taking place on the premises. “They come in through one door in the building and leave through another. They are going for about $200 at the moment.” he said. “We have also seen 22 cars with Damascus [license] plates so far this morning,” he added, referring to reports that large numbers of Lebanese living in Syria had returned on Sunday to vote.
Waad Party Zahle official Pierre Haddad said that it was the people’s right to come back and cast their ballot.
“People are coming to vote, over from the border with Syria,” he told The Daily Star. “These are Lebanese living in Syria and it is their absolute right to vote in Lebanese polls. It is their right to come here.”
Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), after failing to reach agreement with Skaff’s list, fielded just one candidate on Sunday, Antoine Bou Younes. Reports soon emerged that many FPM voters were voting for the Zahle Decision list while substituting the name for one of the candidates from the list by that of Bou Younes.
In addition, several groups supporting Zahle MP Nicholas Fattouch were said to be backing Skaff’s list even though Fattouch himself tabled a blank ballot earlier in the day.
Skaff, who lost his Zahle seat in 2009’s parliamentary election, was coy when asked about reports of tacit support from Fattouch partisans.
“Until last night there wasn’t any indication that they are going to support us. If they are, then we thank them for their support,” he told The Daily Star.
He added that failure to reach an alliance with Aoun in the municipal elections, would not necessarily bar such a coalition in future parliamentary votes.
“We agree on the major political headlines. The form of the municipal elections doesn’t necessarily reflect that of the parliamentary elections. We are here to meet the demands of families, as we said in our campaign, when Zahle speaks, we listen,” Skaff said. Former FPM Zahle MP Salim Aoun, said many party supporters balloted for Skaff’s list.
“Most of our voters are voting for [Zahle Decision] list, it’s true. But we didn’t make any deal with Skaff. We left to our supporters the freedom to choose who they want,” he said.
The prospect of vote-rigging and rampant politicization did little to dissuade many voters, who brandished their purpled thumbs proudly after exiting polling stations.
“I want to vote for the list that best protects our interests. I believe they will develop Zahle and fix the smell that comes from the dump,” said one female voter. “We want to make Zahle better for tourists. Yes, the vote is politicized but everyone is being nice today.” Hayat al-Kara, an election worker for the Decision Zahle list, alleged that malpractice was continuing inside polling stations. She claimed that March 14 delegates had bribed polling station heads to arrange ballot boxes in a manner advantageous to the Vision and Development list. “The way the ballot boxes were arranged means that most of the old people cannot vote at all,” she said. While The Daily Star was unable to verify Kara’s claims, Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections noted that several observers had seen voting irregularities, including the buying of votes.

Interior Ministry wins UN Public Service Award

By The Daily Star /Monday, May 10, 2010
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Interior Ministry headed by Minister Ziyad Baroud received on Saturday the United Nations Public Service Award 2010 for its achievements in holding parliamentary elections through “creative mechanisms.” The ministry came in first place out of 400 public service administrations in the world, mainly for its work during the 2009 parliamentary elections. The award is handed out yearly to public institutions that lead to a more effective and a more responsive administration. The UN Public Service Awards were created in March 2003 with the aim of encouraging transparency, accountability and responsiveness in public service as well as reinforcing participation in decision making though innovative mechanisms. During the past two years, the ministry has received wide praise and awards for its achievements, especially in the field of organizing elections. Its efforts in holding the 2009 parliamentary elections in one day were praised by international supervisors and by the Jimmy Carter Center, which monitored the vote. “I have supervised more than 83 elections in 83 countries worldwide but the best I have seen were in Lebanon,” former US President Jimmy Carter said at the time of the polls, referring to Baroud’s management. Lebanon is currently holding its municipal elections. Two rounds of voting have taken place and two more are scheduled for May 23 in South Lebanon and Nabatieh and May 30 for North Lebanon. – The Daily Star

Sleiman says he won't ask Hizbullah to disarm

Monday, May 10, 2010
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Sleiman said the government cannot ask Hizbullah to give up its arms at a time of heightened Israeli tension and before agreement on a national defense strategy was reached. Israeli allegations last month that Syria had transferred long-range Scud missiles to Hizbullah fuelled security concerns, although Lebanon and Syria both denied the charge, while Hizbullah’s leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has refused to comment. Hizbullah is on the United States’ terrorism blacklist, but it is also part of the Lebanese government.
Syria says it only gives Hizbullah political backing and that Israel may be using the accusation as a pretext for a military strike. Israel launched a 34-day war against Lebanon in the summer of 2006 during which the powerful group fired thousands of mostly short-range rockets against Israel. “To demand now, in this regional atmosphere full of dangers and the drumbeats of war that Israel is banging everyday, and before we reach an agreement on a national defense strategy to protect Lebanon, we cannot and must not tell the resistance … ‘Give us your weapons and put it under the state’s command,’” Sleiman was quoted as saying in the Ad-Diyar newspaper on Saturday. The current government, led by Sunni Muslim businessman Saad Hariri, has backed Hizbullah’s right to keep its weapons to deter Israeli attacks, an issue that has been at the heart of Lebanon’s political crisis over the past five years. Sleiman has chaired periodic National Dialogue sessions but politicians have been unable to agree on a national defense strategy, in which Hizbullah’s weapons would be integrated into the Lebanese Army, to protect Lebanon from Israel. Israel is worried the Iranian-backed resistance group has replenished its arsenal to attack it on Iran’s behalf should Tehran’s nuclear sites come under attack.
Security Council Resolution 1701, which halted hostilities between Israel and Hizbullah in 2006, calls for a stop to arms smuggling. It bans all unauthorized weapons between the Litani River and the Blue Line, the UN-monitored border between Israel and Lebanon. The Israeli state has criticized the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, for not stopping weapons it says are flowing to Hizbullah. The United Nations says that is the responsibility of the Lebanese authorities. UN Security Council Resolution 1559, sponsored by the United States and France and adopted in 2004, demanded that all Lebanese militias be disarmed. Hizbullah is the only group to have kept its arms since the 1975-1990 Civil War. – Reuters

Rival Zahle lists claim victory, cite vote-buying

By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Monday, May 10, 2010
BEIRUT: Election officials had only counted the ballots of 15 out of more than 127 polling stations in Zahle city as The Daily Star went to press Sunday at midnight, but competing lists were already claiming victory on the basis of exit polls. However, media reports indicated that it was too early to predict the outcome after a fierce electoral battle that saw three lists strive for support among a divided electorate. The polls in the Bekaa capital, one of the few municipalities the country being contested, saw a relatively high voter turnout of 55 percent. One Zahle MP described the municipal electoral battle as a mini-parliamentary one.
The “Zahle Decision” list backed by Popular Bloc leader Elie Skaff was pitted against the March14-supported “Development and vision” list, while the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) fielded only one candidate, Antoine Bou Younes. But reports said FPM supporters voted in favor of Skaff’s list, substituting only one of its members with Bou Younes.
Similarly, supporters of Zahle MP Nicholas Fattouch, who withdrew from the March 14 alliance after the June 2009 parliamentary elections, were reported to be casting ballots for the “Zahle Decision” list. But Fattouch, who casted a blank ballot, said he was at equal distance from all the candidates. Fattouch had tried to negotiate with Skaff an electoral municipal alliance, but the two failed to reach a deal. A third list “The “Sons of Zahle,” headed by retired army Brigadier Walid Choueiri, also contested the vote. In the June 2009 parliamentary polls, the March 14 coalition swept all seven seats in a contest against a Popular Bloc-FPM alliance. Meanwhile, no real contest took place in the northern Bekaa Valley region, Baalbek, a bastion of Hizbullah, except for a few towns where politicians from prominent families ran for office. As polling stations closed, turnout among the 550,000 electorate was reported to be 52 percent in Baalbek and 46 percent in West Bekaa, a relatively high turnout given the uncontested win of 49 of 155 municipal councils. No official results were reported in Baalbek and West Bekaa as of Sunday midnight. Following allegations of widespread vote buying, Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar urged election observers in Zahle to report any bribery cases to security forces so they could take the appropriate measures to guarantee a democratic electoral process. “All day the Interior Ministry and general prosecutors were investigating vote buying as the Lebanese Army Intelligence Services and Internal Security Forces were cooperating with general prosecutors; however no conclusive results were reached yet,” Najjar said. Zahle MP Elie Marouni accused the Popular Bloc of vote buying, adding that individuals of Syrian nationality were voting in Zahle. “I urge Zahle families to stand against the election of a municipality council by Syrian votes and Iranian will,” he said. As of Sunday noon, the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections documented two bribery cases and reported them to the Interior Ministry.

Sfeir, Abdullah lay Jordan's St Maroun Church cornerstone

By The Daily Star /Monday, May 10, 2010
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir met with Jordanian King Abdullah Bin al-Hussein Saturday as he placed the cornerstone for the Saint Maroun Church before heading back to Lebanon. Sfeir ended a two-day trip to Amman with a meeting with King Abdullah. Lebanese Ambassador to Amman Charbel Aoun was present at the gathering as Sfeir presented the Jordanian king an honorary gift. King Abdullah confirmed his country’s constant support for Lebanon and underlined the importance of religious diversity, while the patriarch stressed the special relation that linked Lebanon and Jordan. Sfeir also thanked the king for donating a 4,000 square meters of land near the Dead Sea where Jesus was baptized to build the Saint Maroun Church. Sfeir placed the cornerstone for the church the same day, blessed the site and the project, and thanked Abdullah for all his contributions to the Christian community in Jordan. “The Maronite Center in Amman would never have been built without the generous contributions of the Hashemite family, especially those of King Abdullah II Bin Hussein,” he said.
He went on to praise the strong relations linking the Maronite Patriarchy to the Hashemite family and said that they were based on respect and honesty.
The patriarch also stressed bilateral relations between Lebanon and Jordan and asked King Abdullah to help “the 3,000 Lebanese who were forced to leave south Lebanon and enter Israel.” He urged him to multiply his efforts along with Lebanese officials in order to find a way for the people to return to their land. – The Daily Star

Poll: Obama has Lost Almost Half of his US Jewish Support
by Gil Ronen/Arutz Sheva
United States President Barack Obama has lost nearly half of his support among American Jews, a poll by the McLaughlin Group has shown.
The US Jews polled were asked whether they would: (a) vote to re-elect Obama, or (b) consider voting for someone else. 42% said they would vote for Obama and 46%, a plurality, preferred the second answer. 12% said they did not know or refused to answer.
In the Presidential elections of 2008, 78% of Jewish voters, or close to 8 out of 10, chose Obama. The McLaughlin poll held nearly 18 months later, in April 2010, appears to show that support down to around 4 out of 10.
The poll showed that key voter segments including Orthodox/Hassidic voters, Conservative voters, voters who have friends and family in Israel and those who have been to Israel, are all more likely to consider voting for someone other than Obama.
Among Orthodox/Hassidic voters, 69% marked 'someone else' vs. 17% who marked 're-elect.' Among Conservative-affiliated voters the proportion was 50% to 38%. Among Reform Jews, a slim majority of 52% still supported Obama while 36% indicated they would consider someone else. Among Jews with family in Israel and those who had been to Israel, about 50% said they would consider someone else, while 41%-42% supported Obama.
Fifty percent of the Jewish voters polled said they approved of the job Obama is doing handling US relations with Israel. Thirty-nine percent said they disapproved. “This rating is not good for a group of voters who are 59% Democratic to only 16% Republican,” the poll's analysis noted. A majority of 52% said they disapproved of the idea of the Obama Administration supporting a plan to recognize a Palestinian state within two years. 62% said that if given a state, “the Palestinians would continue their campaign of terror to destroy Israel.” Only 19% thought they would live peacefully with Israel.
As Obama loses support among members of the influential Jewish voter bloc, possible Republican candidate Sarah Palin seems to be doing her best to woo them to her camp. At Time Magazine’s May 4 dinner honoring the ‘100 Most Influential People in the World,’ she was sporting a US/Israel flag pin.

Sfeir: We Are Doomed to Live with Each Other

Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir said Monday said the Lebanese and Iraqi people are "doomed to live with each other regardless of the difference of our social conflicts."
Sfeir's remarks came during a meeting with the representative of ex-Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Alawi. Sfeir said he "feels the pain of what is happening in Iraq, this country which is close to Lebanon, where many of our children were and still working there."

Skaff-Backed 'Zahle Decision' List Wins 19 Members

Naharnet/Unofficial results on Monday showed that 19 members on the "Zahle Decision" municipal electoral list, headed by Joseph Maalouf and backed by former MP Elie Skaff, has won.
Meanwhile, two members of the rival list – incumbent municipal head Assad Zogheib and Mrs. Maha Maalouf Kassouf – were said to have penetrated the winning list.
Beirut Christian Mayors: 25 for March 14, 15 for Aoun-Tashnag Alliance
Naharnet/The Beirut municipal and mayoral elections witnessed a heated battle between March 14 forces and the Free Patriotic Movement-Tashnag alliance as they competed over a total of 28 seats in Ashrafiyeh, Rmeil, and Saifi. The daily An Nahar reported Monday that as of this morning the results in Mdawwar resulted in the victory of a list of 12 mayoral candidates, eight from the Aoun-Tashnag alliance and four from the March 14 forces. Meanwhile, State Minister Michel Pharaon told LBC TV that the March 14-backed list swept all 12 mayoral seats in Ashrafiyeh and all four in Saifi. In Rmeil, five seats were won by the March 14-backed candidates and seven by the Aoun-Tashnag-backed candidates.
The ballot count process was accompanied by tensions at Sassine Square in Ashrafiyeh where the celebratory convoys of the rival political parties roamed the streets.
The army also cordoned a restaurant in the area that the Lebanese Forces had set up as an election office and prevented anyone from entering or leaving the establishment.
Some information said that the army had arrested a number of LF supporters. Head of the LF media department, Nadi Ghosn, said that some of the party's supporters had been assaulted, adding that the army "prevented a youth gathering of our supporters on a sidewalk outside one of our offices, which was surprising and we do not know the reason for it." He called on Interior Minister Ziad Baroud to come "witness with his own eyes what is happening on the streets of Ashrafiyeh." Beirut, 10 May 10, 18:57

Hariri Thanks Beirutis for 'Preserving Coexistence'

Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri thanked Monday the Beirutis who participated in the municipal elections yesterday "and supported the Capital's unity, affirming their decision to preserve coexistence and equal Christian-Muslim powersharing." He said: "Once again, I express my deepest gratitude to the Beirutis who voted in the municipal elections, emphasizing their attachment to unity and coexistence between Muslims and Christians, of which Beirut represents a model in Lebanon and the whole East." "This honorable result reflects the determination of our people in Beirut to consecrate the path established by Martyr Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, in ensuring total parity between Muslims and Christians in Beirut's Municipal Council, enabling all the citizens of the Capital to participate in the sustained development process needed all the time," Hariri added. He concluded: "This result would not have been achieved without the awareness and wisdom of the Beirutis, to whom I express my deepest appreciation and sincere gratitude, for their participation in raising the voice of unity, moderation and coexistence in the Capital." Also Monday, Hariri held talks with the Malaysian Ambassador to Lebanon Ilango Karuppannan in attendance of the Honorary Consul General, Datuk Omar Jundi. After the meeting, Ambassador Karuppannan said: "We discussed issues of bilateral interests both to Lebanon and Malaysia, to see how we can promote relations between the two countries, which are actually very good and very warm. But we have to look at different areas where we can further cooperate together." Beirut, 10 May 10, 16:14

Jumblat Calls on Mt. Lebanon Prosecutor, Security Officials to Resign over Ketermaya Lynching

Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat called for the resignation of the Mount Lebanon Prosecutor and the liable security officials in wake of the mob lynching of the suspect in Ketermaya's quadruple murder.
In an editorial to be published Tuesday in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa weekly, Jumblat said: "All the field security officials, their superiors, and the prosecutor of Mount Lebanon should resign or be fired from their posts." Furthermore, the MP noted that the major mistake that took place was the security officials' insistence that the suspect reenact his crime soon after it was committed at a time when the residents were still angry about the murder of 2 grandparents and their 2 granddaughters. It was this measure that led to the mob lynching, Jumblat added.
He also condemned the media race to broadcast images from the crime, saying: "Such a step only served to refuel the resentment and the incomprehensible discrimination against the fraternal Egyptian people." On the other hand, Jumblat condemned political editorials questioning his break from the March 14 bloc. Jumblat said: "Protecting domestic peace, national unity, and internal stability cannot be described as surrender or compliance." He stressed that he will not relinquish his recent political stances "despite what some have written."

Families Penetrate Hizbullah-AMAL Alliance in Northern Bekaa

Naharnet/"Al-Labwa Families" list has defeated the rival list backed by both Hizbullah and AMAL movement in the north Bekaa municipal elections. In Qab Elias, however, the list supported by the majority March 14 forces scored victory and so in Firzil and al-Bireh. Al-Mustaqbal party failed to have control over any electoral game in its areas of influence, particularly in al-Fakha, al-Ain and Arsal.

Suleiman Urges Political Leaders to Accept Election Results

Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman on Monday urged Lebanese political leaders to accept election results and get started with development plans.
"We appreciate the role of both the defense and interior ministries and their efforts in maintaining safe elections," Suleiman said
Israel to Continue Jerusalem Settlements despite Peace Talks
Naharnet/Newly launched, US-brokered peace efforts hit a snag on Monday as Israel vowed settlement building would continue in east Jerusalem, infuriating the Palestinians who protested to Washington. "It is evident we will continue to build over the next two years in Gilo, Pisgat Zeev, French Hill," Information Minister Yuli Edelstein told public radio in reference to Jewish settlements in annexed Arab east Jerusalem. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, however, stressed Washington had promised to halt Jewish settlement in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and expressed anger over reports settlers were building 14 new homes in the Arab neighborhood of Ras al-Amud. "The American administration must respond to those Israeli acts," Abbas told AFP, one day after the announcement that Israel and the Palestinians had started indirect talks initially scheduled to get under way in March.
His top negotiator Saeb Erakat said the Palestinian Authority "officially protested to the American administration." "We told the American administration we consider this act as a great provocation," he said in reference to the construction in Ras al-Amud. The U.S. State Department said on Sunday both sides were taking measures "conducive to successful talks," and that Israel had explained there would be no construction at east Jerusalem's Ramat Shlomo settlement for two years. Edelstein admitted a controversial plan to build 1,600 new homes in the east Jerusalem settlement would not start for another two years, but stressed this followed normal planning procedures. Underscoring the deep mistrust between Israel and the Palestinians, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley cautioned both sides they would be held accountable if they did anything to "seriously undermine trust." Israel stressed in a statement that building and planning in Jerusalem will continue as usual, "exactly as has been the case for the past 43 years" and insisted it had not undertaken to freeze the Ramat Shlomo project.
The Islamist Hamas movement urged Abbas to reverse the decision to take part in the "absurd negotiations."
"The Zionist decision to build new homes in the middle of Jerusalem... shows that the return to negotiations is a free service rendered to the occupation and its settlement projects," the Palestinian faction said. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, for his part, insisted the municipality "continues to promote planning and construction throughout the city for all its residents -- Jews, Christians and Muslims." "We trust that the prime minister will not allow a freeze in Jerusalem, not in words and not in actions," he said.
Right-wing parties accused Netanyahu of betraying his electorate. Jerusalem and Jewish settlements are among the thorniest issues in efforts to achieve a peace deal.
Israel, which captured east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it, considers the Holy City its "eternal and indivisible" capital, while the Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their promised state. The so-called proximity talks were originally due to start in March but the Palestinians withdrew after Israel publicized the Ramat Shlomo building plan.
The Palestinians eventually agreed to hold the talks after receiving US assurances the Jerusalem settlement expansion plan would be frozen.
The two sides had held just over a year of direct negotiations, after a seven-year hiatus, but those collapsed in December 2008 with little to show.
An Israeli settlement watchdog group warned the increase in Jewish settlement activity in east Jerusalem is likely to torpedo any chance of finding a two-state solution under which a Palestinian state would be created alongside Israel. "The intensification of settlement activities in east Jerusalem threatens the chances of implementing the two-state solution and might create an irreversible situation that would prevent a compromise in Jerusalem," Peace Now said.(AFP) Beirut, 10 May 10, 19:09

Medvedev visits Syria in attempt to revive ties
May 10, 2010
Naharnet/President Dmitry Medvedev begins on Monday the first visit by a Russian head of state to Syria, eying a revival of the once thriving partnership between the Soviet-era allies.
Medvedev, who is accompanied by a high-powered delegation focused on the military, said Russia and Syria should develop ties and described Damascus as a key Middle East political player. "We need to speed up multi-dimensional political dialogue," Medvedev said in an article for the Syrian daily Al-Watan released by the Kremlin late Sunday ahead of the two-day visit. He called Damascus "one of the most important political centers of the Middle East" and urged the two countries to develop economic ties, particularly in hi-tech.
Medvedev is due to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad later on Monday. Russia seeks to promote itself as a major power in the Middle East and wants to revive ties with old allies with whom relations weakened after the 1991 disintegration of the Soviet Union, a spokesperson at the Russian Embassy in Damascus told AFP. Medvedev's visit comes shortly after Washington renewed US sanctions on Syria for a year, accusing it of supporting "terrorist" groups. Syrian media have welcomed the visit with the government newspaper Tishrin on Monday hailing Russia's "growing role" in the Middle East, especially in the context of Washington's "failure to protect stability and world peace, because of its flagrant bias" towards Israel.
Medvedev's visit "is of exceptional importance," the paper said. "It reflects Russia's respect for the role Syria has played in promoting regional stability and its support for Syria's position and its right to reclaim the Golan Heights," occupied by Israel in 1967.
-AFP/NOW Lebanon

Missing the point

May 10, 2010
Now Lebanon/On Saturday, the Lebanese Interior Ministry won the 2010 United Nations Public Service Award for organizing the June 2009 parliamentary elections with what the citation called “innovative mechanisms.” The citation could have been interpreted as mildly ironic in light of Sunday’s second round of voting in Lebanon’s municipal polls, which only served to confirm the political hysteria that has infected the voting so far.
While on one level, we should be thankful that these polls were held in the first place and that the national timetable was respected, it is a shame that they should have been allowed to be hijacked by March 14 and March 8 to the extent they were. Municipal elections are about selecting administrators who can provide essential services for, and improve conditions in, local areas. They should not, primarily at least, reflect partisan politics at a grass roots level.
Much of what happens in municipal politics is family oriented. National interests don’t really come into play. The voter that casts a ballot in the North Metn parliamentary elections will not make the same calculation when electing the mayor of Baskinta at a municipal level. That will be a choice formed by personal relations, family ties, and local interests.
It is by no means an ideal dynamic. Bloc voting and consensus might ensure stability in areas where family and sectarian tensions often run high, but this can come at the expense of the spirit of democracy, not to mention accountability should the municipality fall short in its election pledges. Using municipal elections to fight national battles, even at the most local level, has put extra – maybe even unnatural – pressure on a system that functions by a different set of calculations.
This does not mean that there are no national interests at stake. Whoever controls Beirut at municipal level wields huge influence. Control of the capital means having a say in the city’s, and arguably the nation’s, economic future. With real estate development at an all time high, it means control of the issuing of building and development permits. High stakes? Just ask Solidere. The Souks shopping mall in the Beirut Central District that opened last year was meant to open in 1999, but was delayed for a decade because of a dispute between the development company and the municipality.
In Zahleh the stakes are equally high and it is there that Damascus took an interest. The capital of the Bekaa is the frontline in the battle for influence in what was Damascus’s backyard. It is no coincidence that the disgraced security chief, Jamil Sayed, was on hand to coordinate the opposition’s election campaign, one in which Popular Bloc leader Elias Skaff was no doubt keen to bounce back from his loss in last year’s national polls.
By the end of May, election fever will have subsided. The political circus will have packed up and left town; Michel Aoun will have gone in search of another fight, and the brouhaha created by both the March 14 and March 8 will have settled, leaving the vast majority of Lebanese municipalities to their own devices until the polls come round again.
But one can’t help thinking that somehow we missed the point.
On Saturday, the Lebanese Interior Ministry won the 2010 United Nations Public Service Award for organizing the June 2009 parliamentary elections with what the citation called “innovative mechanisms.” The citation could have been interpreted as mildly ironic in light of Sunday’s second round of voting in Lebanon’s municipal polls, which only served to confirm the political hysteria that has infected the voting so far.
While on one level, we should be thankful that these polls were held in the first place and that the national timetable was respected, it is a shame that they should have been allowed to be hijacked by March 14 and March 8 to the extent they were. Municipal elections are about selecting administrators who can provide essential services for, and improve conditions in, local areas. They should not, primarily at least, reflect partisan politics at a grass roots level.
Much of what happens in municipal politics is family oriented. National interests don’t really come into play. The voter that casts a ballot in the North Metn parliamentary elections will not make the same calculation when electing the mayor of Baskinta at a municipal level. That will be a choice formed by personal relations, family ties, and local interests.
It is by no means an ideal dynamic. Bloc voting and consensus might ensure stability in areas where family and sectarian tensions often run high, but this can come at the expense of the spirit of democracy, not to mention accountability should the municipality fall short in its election pledges. Using municipal elections to fight national battles, even at the most local level, has put extra – maybe even unnatural – pressure on a system that functions by a different set of calculations.
This does not mean that there are no national interests at stake. Whoever controls Beirut at municipal level wields huge influence. Control of the capital means having a say in the city’s, and arguably the nation’s, economic future. With real estate development at an all time high, it means control of the issuing of building and development permits. High stakes? Just ask Solidere. The Souks shopping mall in the Beirut Central District that opened last year was meant to open in 1999, but was delayed for a decade because of a dispute between the development company and the municipality.
In Zahleh the stakes are equally high and it is there that Damascus took an interest. The capital of the Bekaa is the frontline in the battle for influence in what was Damascus’s backyard. It is no coincidence that the disgraced security chief, Jamil Sayed, was on hand to coordinate the opposition’s election campaign, one in which Popular Bloc leader Elias Skaff was no doubt keen to bounce back from his loss in last year’s national polls.
By the end of May, election fever will have subsided. The political circus will have packed up and left town; Michel Aoun will have gone in search of another fight, and the brouhaha created by both the March 14 and March 8 will have settled, leaving the vast majority of Lebanese municipalities to their own devices until the polls come round again. But one can’t help thinking that somehow we missed the point.

Sfeir: We Are Doomed to Live with Each Other

Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir said Monday said the Lebanese and Iraqi people are "doomed to live with each other regardless of the difference of our social conflicts."
Sfeir's remarks came during a meeting with the representative of ex-Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Alawi. Sfeir said he "feels the pain of what is happening in Iraq, this country which is close to Lebanon, where many of our children were and still working there."

Skaff-Backed 'Zahle Decision' List Wins 19 Members

Naharnet/Unofficial results on Monday showed that 19 members on the "Zahle Decision" municipal electoral list, headed by Joseph Maalouf and backed by former MP Elie Skaff, has won.
Meanwhile, two members of the rival list – incumbent municipal head Assad Zogheib and Mrs. Maha Maalouf Kassouf – were said to have penetrated the winning list.

Beirut Christian Mayors: 25 for March 14, 15 for Aoun-Tashnag Alliance
Naharnet/The Beirut municipal and mayoral elections witnessed a heated battle between March 14 forces and the Free Patriotic Movement-Tashnag alliance as they competed over a total of 28 seats in Ashrafiyeh, Rmeil, and Saifi. The daily An Nahar reported Monday that as of this morning the results in Mdawwar resulted in the victory of a list of 12 mayoral candidates, eight from the Aoun-Tashnag alliance and four from the March 14 forces. Meanwhile, State Minister Michel Pharaon told LBC TV that the March 14-backed list swept all 12 mayoral seats in Ashrafiyeh and all four in Saifi. In Rmeil, five seats were won by the March 14-backed candidates and seven by the Aoun-Tashnag-backed candidates. The ballot count process was accompanied by tensions at Sassine Square in Ashrafiyeh where the celebratory convoys of the rival political parties roamed the streets. The army also cordoned a restaurant in the area that the Lebanese Forces had set up as an election office and prevented anyone from entering or leaving the establishment. Some information said that the army had arrested a number of LF supporters. Head of the LF media department, Nadi Ghosn, said that some of the party's supporters had been assaulted, adding that the army "prevented a youth gathering of our supporters on a sidewalk outside one of our offices, which was surprising and we do not know the reason for it." He called on Interior Minister Ziad Baroud to come "witness with his own eyes what is happening on the streets of Ashrafiyeh." Beirut, 10 May 10, 18:57

Hariri Thanks Beirutis for 'Preserving Coexistence'

Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri thanked Monday the Beirutis who participated in the municipal elections yesterday "and supported the Capital's unity, affirming their decision to preserve coexistence and equal Christian-Muslim powersharing." He said: "Once again, I express my deepest gratitude to the Beirutis who voted in the municipal elections, emphasizing their attachment to unity and coexistence between Muslims and Christians, of which Beirut represents a model in Lebanon and the whole East." "This honorable result reflects the determination of our people in Beirut to consecrate the path established by Martyr Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, in ensuring total parity between Muslims and Christians in Beirut's Municipal Council, enabling all the citizens of the Capital to participate in the sustained development process needed all the time," Hariri added. He concluded: "This result would not have been achieved without the awareness and wisdom of the Beirutis, to whom I express my deepest appreciation and sincere gratitude, for their participation in raising the voice of unity, moderation and coexistence in the Capital." Also Monday, Hariri held talks with the Malaysian Ambassador to Lebanon Ilango Karuppannan in attendance of the Honorary Consul General, Datuk Omar Jundi. After the meeting, Ambassador Karuppannan said: "We discussed issues of bilateral interests both to Lebanon and Malaysia, to see how we can promote relations between the two countries, which are actually very good and very warm. But we have to look at different areas where we can further cooperate together." Beirut, 10 May 10, 16:14

Jumblat Calls on Mt. Lebanon Prosecutor, Security Officials to Resign over Ketermaya Lynching

Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat called for the resignation of the Mount Lebanon Prosecutor and the liable security officials in wake of the mob lynching of the suspect in Ketermaya's quadruple murder. In an editorial to be published Tuesday in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa weekly, Jumblat said: "All the field security officials, their superiors, and the prosecutor of Mount Lebanon should resign or be fired from their posts." Furthermore, the MP noted that the major mistake that took place was the security officials' insistence that the suspect reenact his crime soon after it was committed at a time when the residents were still angry about the murder of 2 grandparents and their 2 granddaughters. It was this measure that led to the mob lynching, Jumblat added. He also condemned the media race to broadcast images from the crime, saying: "Such a step only served to refuel the resentment and the incomprehensible discrimination against the fraternal Egyptian people." On the other hand, Jumblat condemned political editorials questioning his break from the March 14 bloc. Jumblat said: "Protecting domestic peace, national unity, and internal stability cannot be described as surrender or compliance." He stressed that he will not relinquish his recent political stances "despite what some have written."

Families Penetrate Hizbullah-AMAL Alliance in Northern Bekaa

Naharnet/"Al-Labwa Families" list has defeated the rival list backed by both Hizbullah and AMAL movement in the north Bekaa municipal elections. In Qab Elias, however, the list supported by the majority March 14 forces scored victory and so in Firzil and al-Bireh. Al-Mustaqbal party failed to have control over any electoral game in its areas of influence, particularly in al-Fakha, al-Ain and Arsal.

Suleiman Urges Political Leaders to Accept Election Results
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman on Monday urged Lebanese political leaders to accept election results and get started with development plans.
"We appreciate the role of both the defense and interior ministries and their efforts in maintaining safe elections," Suleiman said

Israel to Continue Jerusalem Settlements despite Peace Talks
Naharnet/Newly launched, US-brokered peace efforts hit a snag on Monday as Israel vowed settlement building would continue in east Jerusalem, infuriating the Palestinians who protested to Washington. "It is evident we will continue to build over the next two years in Gilo, Pisgat Zeev, French Hill," Information Minister Yuli Edelstein told public radio in reference to Jewish settlements in annexed Arab east Jerusalem. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, however, stressed Washington had promised to halt Jewish settlement in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and expressed anger over reports settlers were building 14 new homes in the Arab neighborhood of Ras al-Amud. "The American administration must respond to those Israeli acts," Abbas told AFP, one day after the announcement that Israel and the Palestinians had started indirect talks initially scheduled to get under way in March.
His top negotiator Saeb Erakat said the Palestinian Authority "officially protested to the American administration." "We told the American administration we consider this act as a great provocation," he said in reference to the construction in Ras al-Amud. The U.S. State Department said on Sunday both sides were taking measures "conducive to successful talks," and that Israel had explained there would be no construction at east Jerusalem's Ramat Shlomo settlement for two years.
Edelstein admitted a controversial plan to build 1,600 new homes in the east Jerusalem settlement would not start for another two years, but stressed this followed normal planning procedures. Underscoring the deep mistrust between Israel and the Palestinians, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley cautioned both sides they would be held accountable if they did anything to "seriously undermine trust." Israel stressed in a statement that building and planning in Jerusalem will continue as usual, "exactly as has been the case for the past 43 years" and insisted it had not undertaken to freeze the Ramat Shlomo project.
The Islamist Hamas movement urged Abbas to reverse the decision to take part in the "absurd negotiations."
"The Zionist decision to build new homes in the middle of Jerusalem... shows that the return to negotiations is a free service rendered to the occupation and its settlement projects," the Palestinian faction said.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, for his part, insisted the municipality "continues to promote planning and construction throughout the city for all its residents -- Jews, Christians and Muslims."
"We trust that the prime minister will not allow a freeze in Jerusalem, not in words and not in actions," he said.
Right-wing parties accused Netanyahu of betraying his electorate.
Jerusalem and Jewish settlements are among the thorniest issues in efforts to achieve a peace deal.
Israel, which captured east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it, considers the Holy City its "eternal and indivisible" capital, while the Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their promised state. The so-called proximity talks were originally due to start in March but the Palestinians withdrew after Israel publicized the Ramat Shlomo building plan.
The Palestinians eventually agreed to hold the talks after receiving US assurances the Jerusalem settlement expansion plan would be frozen.
The two sides had held just over a year of direct negotiations, after a seven-year hiatus, but those collapsed in December 2008 with little to show.
An Israeli settlement watchdog group warned the increase in Jewish settlement activity in east Jerusalem is likely to torpedo any chance of finding a two-state solution under which a Palestinian state would be created alongside Israel. "The intensification of settlement activities in east Jerusalem threatens the chances of implementing the two-state solution and might create an irreversible situation that would prevent a compromise in Jerusalem," Peace Now said.(AFP) Beirut, 10 May 10, 19:09

Medvedev visits Syria in attempt to revive ties

May 10, 2010
Naharnet/President Dmitry Medvedev begins on Monday the first visit by a Russian head of state to Syria, eying a revival of the once thriving partnership between the Soviet-era allies.
Medvedev, who is accompanied by a high-powered delegation focused on the military, said Russia and Syria should develop ties and described Damascus as a key Middle East political player. "We need to speed up multi-dimensional political dialogue," Medvedev said in an article for the Syrian daily Al-Watan released by the Kremlin late Sunday ahead of the two-day visit. He called Damascus "one of the most important political centers of the Middle East" and urged the two countries to develop economic ties, particularly in hi-tech.
Medvedev is due to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad later on Monday. Russia seeks to promote itself as a major power in the Middle East and wants to revive ties with old allies with whom relations weakened after the 1991 disintegration of the Soviet Union, a spokesperson at the Russian Embassy in Damascus told AFP. Medvedev's visit comes shortly after Washington renewed US sanctions on Syria for a year, accusing it of supporting "terrorist" groups. Syrian media have welcomed the visit with the government newspaper Tishrin on Monday hailing Russia's "growing role" in the Middle East, especially in the context of Washington's "failure to protect stability and world peace, because of its flagrant bias" towards Israel.
Medvedev's visit "is of exceptional importance," the paper said. "It reflects Russia's respect for the role Syria has played in promoting regional stability and its support for Syria's position and its right to reclaim the Golan Heights," occupied by Israel in 1967. -AFP/NOW Lebanon

Missing the point
May 10, 2010
Now Lebanon/On Saturday, the Lebanese Interior Ministry won the 2010 United Nations Public Service Award for organizing the June 2009 parliamentary elections with what the citation called “innovative mechanisms.” The citation could have been interpreted as mildly ironic in light of Sunday’s second round of voting in Lebanon’s municipal polls, which only served to confirm the political hysteria that has infected the voting so far.
While on one level, we should be thankful that these polls were held in the first place and that the national timetable was respected, it is a shame that they should have been allowed to be hijacked by March 14 and March 8 to the extent they were. Municipal elections are about selecting administrators who can provide essential services for, and improve conditions in, local areas. They should not, primarily at least, reflect partisan politics at a grass roots level.
Much of what happens in municipal politics is family oriented. National interests don’t really come into play. The voter that casts a ballot in the North Metn parliamentary elections will not make the same calculation when electing the mayor of Baskinta at a municipal level. That will be a choice formed by personal relations, family ties, and local interests.
It is by no means an ideal dynamic. Bloc voting and consensus might ensure stability in areas where family and sectarian tensions often run high, but this can come at the expense of the spirit of democracy, not to mention accountability should the municipality fall short in its election pledges. Using municipal elections to fight national battles, even at the most local level, has put extra – maybe even unnatural – pressure on a system that functions by a different set of calculations.
This does not mean that there are no national interests at stake. Whoever controls Beirut at municipal level wields huge influence. Control of the capital means having a say in the city’s, and arguably the nation’s, economic future. With real estate development at an all time high, it means control of the issuing of building and development permits. High stakes? Just ask Solidere. The Souks shopping mall in the Beirut Central District that opened last year was meant to open in 1999, but was delayed for a decade because of a dispute between the development company and the municipality.
In Zahleh the stakes are equally high and it is there that Damascus took an interest. The capital of the Bekaa is the frontline in the battle for influence in what was Damascus’s backyard. It is no coincidence that the disgraced security chief, Jamil Sayed, was on hand to coordinate the opposition’s election campaign, one in which Popular Bloc leader Elias Skaff was no doubt keen to bounce back from his loss in last year’s national polls.
By the end of May, election fever will have subsided. The political circus will have packed up and left town; Michel Aoun will have gone in search of another fight, and the brouhaha created by both the March 14 and March 8 will have settled, leaving the vast majority of Lebanese municipalities to their own devices until the polls come round again.
But one can’t help thinking that somehow we missed the point.
On Saturday, the Lebanese Interior Ministry won the 2010 United Nations Public Service Award for organizing the June 2009 parliamentary elections with what the citation called “innovative mechanisms.” The citation could have been interpreted as mildly ironic in light of Sunday’s second round of voting in Lebanon’s municipal polls, which only served to confirm the political hysteria that has infected the voting so far.
While on one level, we should be thankful that these polls were held in the first place and that the national timetable was respected, it is a shame that they should have been allowed to be hijacked by March 14 and March 8 to the extent they were. Municipal elections are about selecting administrators who can provide essential services for, and improve conditions in, local areas. They should not, primarily at least, reflect partisan politics at a grass roots level.
Much of what happens in municipal politics is family oriented. National interests don’t really come into play. The voter that casts a ballot in the North Metn parliamentary elections will not make the same calculation when electing the mayor of Baskinta at a municipal level. That will be a choice formed by personal relations, family ties, and local interests.
It is by no means an ideal dynamic. Bloc voting and consensus might ensure stability in areas where family and sectarian tensions often run high, but this can come at the expense of the spirit of democracy, not to mention accountability should the municipality fall short in its election pledges. Using municipal elections to fight national battles, even at the most local level, has put extra – maybe even unnatural – pressure on a system that functions by a different set of calculations.
This does not mean that there are no national interests at stake. Whoever controls Beirut at municipal level wields huge influence. Control of the capital means having a say in the city’s, and arguably the nation’s, economic future. With real estate development at an all time high, it means control of the issuing of building and development permits. High stakes? Just ask Solidere. The Souks shopping mall in the Beirut Central District that opened last year was meant to open in 1999, but was delayed for a decade because of a dispute between the development company and the municipality.
In Zahleh the stakes are equally high and it is there that Damascus took an interest. The capital of the Bekaa is the frontline in the battle for influence in what was Damascus’s backyard. It is no coincidence that the disgraced security chief, Jamil Sayed, was on hand to coordinate the opposition’s election campaign, one in which Popular Bloc leader Elias Skaff was no doubt keen to bounce back from his loss in last year’s national polls.
By the end of May, election fever will have subsided. The political circus will have packed up and left town; Michel Aoun will have gone in search of another fight, and the brouhaha created by both the March 14 and March 8 will have settled, leaving the vast majority of Lebanese municipalities to their own devices until the polls come round again. But one can’t help thinking that somehow we missed the point.