Khazen

Michel Aoun (R) stressed “the brotherly ties between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon” in congratulating King Salman on National Day. (SPA/AFP/File Photo)

By NAJIA HOUSSARI -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun congratulated King Salman on the occasion of Saudi National Day, praising his efforts to “strengthen Arab solidarity, which is what we need the most today to address the challenges facing our region and the world.” Aoun stressed “the brotherly ties between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, since the era of King Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who laid the foundation for unity and convergence, the values that your Kingdom has remained committed to toward our nation and people.” His warm comments follow recent statements where Aoun expressed his rejection “for Lebanon to be the source of anything that might offend or harm Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries,” after the Saudi government’s decision in April to ban the entry of Lebanese fruits and vegetables into or via its territories over drug smuggling. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government obtained the parliament’s vote of confidence this week, based on the ministerial statement that stressed the need to “promote the Lebanese relations with Arab countries, activate the historic cooperation among Arab countries and urge Arab brothers to support the Lebanese during these difficult times.”

Aoun is expected to deliver via video a speech on Friday at the UN General Assembly in New York from his office, to express “Lebanon’s position regarding local and regional developments as well as the topics on the session’s agenda.” Mikati headed to Paris on Thursday, his first official visit after the formation of the government, and is expected to meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday. France exerted intense pressure on Lebanese politicians to form a government in line with the initiative launched by Macron in the aftermath of the Beirut blast, which rocked the country last August. On the eve of Mikati’s visit to the French capital, the International Support Group for Lebanon welcomed the formation of the new government and the parliament’s vote of confidence in the administration and its program.

National News Agency - Biography of Minister of Labour Sejaan Azzi

 تفصيلٌ أن نكونَ مع هذه الحكومة، وتحصيلٌ حاصِلٌ أن نكونَ ضِدَّها. فتَمنّي النجاحِ لها في معالجةِ القضايا اليوميّةِ، الَّلهُمَّ عبرَ المؤسّساتِ الشرعيّة، لا يَحجُبُ جُنوحَ أكثريَّتِها نحو المحورِ السوريِّ/الإيرانيِّ رغمَ التَبنّي الفرنسيِّ الجانِحِ نسبيًّا هو أيضًا، ورغمَ خصوصيّةِ تقديرِنا رئيسَها وبعضَ وزرائِها الأكفياء تقنيًّا وأخلاقيًّا. إنَّ اعتبارَ هذه الحكومةَ "مجلسَ إدارةِ" الأزمةِ الاقتصاديّةِ والمعيشيّة، لا يَحولُ دونَ اعتبارِها أساسًا "مجلسَ حكمِ" المنظومةِ السياسيّةِ والعسكريّةِ الشرعيّةِ وغيرِ الشرعيّةِ التي انْقلبَت على مفهومِ لبنان ووجودِه ودورِه وهويّتِه، واتّبعَت سياسةً تَقصَّدَت إفقارَ الشعبِ وإفلاسَ البلد.

بمنأى عن ذلك، مُنِحَت هذه الحكومةُ فترةَ سَماحٍ، لكنّها أخفَقَت في استخدامِها، إذ اعْتكَفَت منذ يومِها الأوّل عن مواجهةِ ظواهرَ تَـمُسُّ دستورَ لبنان وسيادتَه، وحدودَه شرقًا وجنوبًا، وتنالُ من استقلاليّةِ قضائِه. هكذا فقَدت ثقةَ الشعبِ قبلَ نَيلِ ثقةِ المجلسِ النيابيِّ المختصَرِ فيها، وسَقطَ الفارقُ بين السلطتَين التشريعيّةِ والتنفيذيّة، وبين المحاسِبِ والمحاسَب.

منذ سنواتٍ والبياناتُ الوزاريّةُ ليست خريطةَ طريقِ الحكومات، إنّما مجرّدُ مَـمرٍّ تقليديِّ لتبريرِ التصويتِ على الثقة. والعَجَلةُ الاستثنائيّةُ التي تُلِيَ فيها البيانُ الوزاريُّ ونوقشَ وصُوِّتَ عليه، يؤكّدُ أنَّ الثقةَ معلَّبةٌ مثلُها مثلُ التأليف. ليس في هذا البيانِ الوزاريِّ سيفٌ. وليس فيه روحُ شعب. وليس فيه روزنامةٌ تنفيذيّة. وليس فيه ثقافةٌ سوى نِصفِ سطرٍ من أصلِ تسعِ صفحات. غَلبَت على البيانِ الوعودُ على الالتزاماتِ، والمساوماتُ اللغويّةُ على وضوحِ المواقف. جاء البيانُ سَرْديًّا في وطنٍ سَئِمَ الحَكواتيّين، وتقليديًّا في ظرفٍ استثنائيّ، ومُسرِفًا في مواضيعِه كأنَّ الحكومةَ باقيةٌ دهرًا.

ارفعوا ايديكم عن القضاء لا تجريح ولا تهديد وحتى لا مديح، فتجاذب القضاء يضعفه وضعفه ينعكس ضعفاً امنياً

FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2021 file photo, a monument that represents justice stands in front of towering grain silos that were gutted in the massive August 2020 explosion at the port that killed more than 200 people and wounded over 6,000, in Beirut, Lebanon. The lead judge investigating Lebanon’s massive port explosion last year issued an arrest warrant Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, for Youssef Fenianos, the former minister of Public Works who failed to appear for questioning, the state-run National News agency reported. Fenianos is one of a number of former government officials who have declined to appear before investigating judge Tarek Bitar. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

BEIRUT (AP Bassem Mroue) — A former Lebanese government minister on Wednesday asked the country’s top court to remove the lead judge investigating last year’s massive explosion in Beirut's port because of allegedly “legitimate suspicion” over his handling of the case, state media reported. The development is the latest in a year-long saga surrounding the investigation into the explosion, which plunged Lebanon into another political crisis and accelerated an already unprecedented economic meltdown. The country's government resigned after the Aug. 4, 2020 explosion and bickering political parties only this month agreed on a new government. Also, months into the probe, the lead judge running the investigation was removed by the Court of Cassation after similar charges were filed against him by senior government officials.

The petition Wednesday by the former public works minister, Youssef Fenianos, came a week after Judge Tarek Bitar issued an arrest warrant for him after he failed to appear in court for questioning. It's not clear whether the Court of Cassation will take up Fenianos' lawsuit and if it does, it will have to examine the case and then decide whether to dismiss or accept the request The judge has accused Fenianos and three other former senior government officials with intentional killing and negligence that led to the deaths of more than 200 people in the explosion.

Khazen History

Historical Feature:
Churches and Monasteries of the Khazen family