Lebanese Minister of Energy and Water Gebran Bassil from Sydney: "Supports the issue of expatriate voting".

14/5/2012

(Translation of this article appears in Arabic section)

Sydney- Middle East Times Int’l: On the first day of his visit to Australia, Gebran Bassil, the Minister of Energy and Water asked the Lebanese expatriates and residents:" Do you want gun ships or electricity vessels?" Bassil called the other political team to provide a single document that condemns the Free Patriotic Movement, reminding of his suggestion in the parliament to bring judges to the Council and if the FPM is found guilty he will withdraw from the Lebanese political life.

In response to the claimants to establish humanitarian corridors for refugees and refugee's camps in Lebanon, Bassil reminded those claimants of the heavy price of thousands of martyrs and expatriates paid by Lebanon against the Palestinian refugee camps and the risk of resettlement while some are denying this current risk on Lebanon.

Minister Gebran Bassil emphasized that the dissociation policy does not mean to bring the Syrian problems to Lebanon or respect the privacy of others and not to convey the Lebanese factors into the Syrian crisis, noting that this policy becomes an escape from responsibility when a security breach hits Lebanon.

At a press conference held in Sydney in the presence of Arab and Lebanese media Bassil said that it is not allowed to stand and watch as spectators as security elements have been planted in Lebanon to bomb, kill and eliminate the other. These elements have killed 171 martyrs of the Lebanese army in Nahr al-Bared. Bassil considered that it is not reasonable to keep silent about those who start as an element, turn into a group, then a camp and a humanitarian corridor while smuggling arms, pointing out that what is happening in northern Lebanon and the Bekaa is similar to what happened with the Palestinians. A foreign body is being implanted in Lebanon under the heading of sectarianism or doctrines for the purpose of bringing the Syrian crisis to Lebanon.

Basil considers that Lebanon is deprived of oil because of foreign policies that were imposed to impoverish Lebanon by preventing the exploitation of its natural resources and to remain at the mercy of international funds and conditions.

However Bassil added that it is important to return back to the Oil file after the many achievements in issuing the relevant law and decrees and starting the recruitment process which will be placed on the table of the Council of Ministers within two weeks in order to begin the licenses cycles.

Bassil supported the issue of expatriate voting, and suggested allocating special deputies to deliver their voices and concerns to the parliament of Lebanon. In this context, Bassil saw that there is a law requiring expatriates voting but lacking the capabilities required to enable the expatriate vote fairly insuring the elections transparency.

Al-Nour Square Closed by Salafists in Tripoli, leading to the creation of security focuses

HE Gebran Bassil, Minister of Energy and Water, considered that closing Al-Nour Square in Tripoli by Salafists because of the arrest of an accused of terrorist acts by the security forces is leading to the creation of a closed security focuses at the heart of Lebanon which develops fanaticism and blasphemy and makes any security violator feels protected which in turn allows the growth of this movement.

Bassil in a meeting with members of the Lebanese community in Sydney, after his participation in the Divine Liturgy in the Church of Our Lady of Lebanon in Sydney, considered that the signs of political terrorism in Lebanon began in 2005 when The FPM warned that the use of money and religious extremism in elections will generate terror in the poor communities, pointing out that the evolution of these movements happened during the mandate of Ahmad Fatfat, acting Minister of Interior, who gave licenses to about 267 sectarian movements and organizations.

And from Sydney also at a dinner organized by the Free Patriotic Movement in Sydney, noticed that some are promising Lebanon of a thought that will eliminate everyone who is different with him under pain of slaughter and killing in the name of religion.

And as for Moderation, Bassil saw that it has became a slow death for the Lebanese government, a killing wait for unachievable variables and the continuation of a situation that must end and an approach that must be changed.

Bassil expressed surprise at how many people live with corruption that even a national leader like Walid Jumblatt admits theft, murder and lying over 25 years and his audience remains with him.