by middleeast.in-24.com — Contrary to the victory achieved by the October 17 uprising against the political parties with the victory of lawyer Melhem Khalaf two years ago, associations affiliated with the “Revolution” banner, led by the National Bloc and “Our Syndicate” were unable to retain the position. From the transfer of its most prominent candidate, Ramzi Heikal, to the membership center with other candidates due to the dispersion of votes over more than one candidate, and due to the presence of strong candidates who attracted votes before the polling process ended with the election of the independent candidate Nader Kaspar, who won 1,888 votes in the first round and 1,530 votes in the second round.
Immediately after his election, Kaspar addressed the lawyers by saying, “I knew very well that you would not let me down, and my door would remain open to all of you, and I would take care of the lawyer’s immunity and the lawyer’s money and dignity as a red line, and we would not neglect national affairs with courage, wisdom and transparency.” Kaspar was subjected to a series of rumors in the past few days to influence his election campaign and say that he is supported by this or that party in power, but he was responding by asserting his independence even on election day. He called the lawyers to judge their conscience, and he was famous for telling the lawyers, “It is not because of two hours that we regret two years.” The election process was not spared the confusion among lawyers after the polls closed for the first round, while lawyers are still waiting for their turn to vote in polling stations 5 and 6, which prompted the former captain to request the reopening of the boxes for white card holders who are waiting for their turn to vote.
Imad Martinos (the opposition front), Nader Kaspar, Elias Bazerli, Abdo Lahoud (supported by the Lebanese Forces), Iskandar Najjar (independent supported by the Kataeb Party and the Opposition Front), Fadi Al-Masry (the Brigades), and Marwan won membership in the Beirut Bar Association Council. Jabr, Wajih Massad and Maya Al-Zaghrini (the candidate of the forces), and Fadi Barakat, the first loser, and he is supported by the Free Patriotic Movement, as it won 1010 votes.
After that, the ballot boxes were opened to elect a chief of lawyers, where 4 candidates competed for the position: Nader Kaspar, Alexander Najjar, Abdo Lahoud and Wajih Massad. However, the candidate Alexander Najjar quickly announced his withdrawal, in order to win over Lawyer Lahoud, and for each party to start adopting the support of the new captain of lawyers. Supporters of the “Our Syndicate” candidate accused the former deputy and minister, Nicolas Fattoush, as he passed through their tent in allying with the Syrian regime and destroying the environment, so he had to leave. Kaspar had held a mass dinner for lawyers two days before the union elections, and explained to them his work program, and touched on national issues, stressing “public freedoms and participation in the process of modernization and development through a modern legislative workshop, as well as working to achieve justice and clarify the truth in the file of the Beirut Port bombing crime, which It will remain our top priority.”
He said, “We have tried major partisan divisions and major national projects, so let us work now to restore the union to its former state, to a time when this union and our senior unionists formed a certain fortress against any infringement, aggression or undermining the rights, livelihood, suffering and dignity of lawyers,” adding, “You will remain, as we have promised you, free consciences, trustworthy.” On the professional syndicate line, and Sunday is our day to elect together a syndicate of lawyers, not a syndicate over them.”
arabnews.com — Najia Houssari — BEIRUT: Lawyers in Lebanon conducted an election on Sunday to choose nine members of the Bar Association, and its new head. The winning members of the association were Imad Martinos, Nader Kaspar, Elias Bazrelli, Abdo Lahoud, Iskandar Najjar, Fadi Al-Masry, Marwan Gabr, Wajih Massad and Maya Al-Zaghrini. Former President Amin Gemayel said on Sunday: “We hope that the elections will come out with results that embody Lebanon’s ambition, and that this Bar Association will be an example for all syndicates.” Gemayel, a lawyer like dozens of politicians, made the remarks as he exercised his electoral right.
Last year’s elections were canceled due to the coronavirus disease pandemic. The 2019 contest led to the election of a head from insurgent groups and the removal of the heads of the ruling parties who had run the Bar Association for decades. About 7,600 lawyers voted, and 36 candidates stood, including nine for the position of the head of the association. The election process continued throughout the day and witnessed attempts by the ruling parties to hide under the mantle of independent candidates. This led to confusion for many voters and an additional effort by the uprising candidates to obtain the majority of votes. The votes of lawyers loyal to the opposition were distributed among the Lebanese Opposition Front and the Our Bar list. Between the two lists, there were three joint candidates, most notably Najjar. The parties, meanwhile, supported independent candidates having not named any themselves.
Lawyers affiliated with revolutionary groups kicked the former MP, lawyer Nicola Fattoush, out from the Our Bar tent in the courtyard of the Palace of Justice, after they criticized him in relation to a quarrying business owned by him and his brother in the Bekaa region. The competition for the position of association chief centered between Najjar and Kaspar. Kaspar has been a member of the Beirut Bar Association for more than 3 sessions, and was considered the most likely candidate, after the difference in votes between him and Najjar in the results of the elections exceeded 300 votes in his favor. Kaspar had competed against previous incumbent Melhem Khalaf in the elections in November 2019. At that time, the parties of the system supported him to prevent Khalaf’s election, but the latter, backed by the October 17 uprising, defeated those parties.
Election observers said “the veteran parties in the electoral process preferred not to announce their support for any candidate in the first round, and then to tell the winning head of the Bar Association that he won because of their votes and that they supported him.” Independents at several universities in Lebanon in 2019 contested student elections, breaking the grip of the traditional parties, which, observers added, might explain the hesitancy of traditional parties to back candidates overtly. Observers said that the political parties “have become afraid of the younger generation and shied away from announcing the names of their candidates. This is what prompted them to resort to naming candidates under the name ‘independent.’”
