Interviews mit libanesischen Erstwählern III

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1) What are your general expectations concerning the upcoming elections in June? Do you think the elections can bring a change to the fragile situation in Lebanon? If yes, in which way?

I am generally pessimistic when it comes to the elections in Lebanon for the word CASUALTIES is directly associated with the word ELECTIONS in Lebanon.
Hence, I do not think that the elections can bring a change to the situation in Lebanon for at the end of the tunnel, the people are electing the same leaders and their associates. No new ideas of change are being brought into the pool.
The worst part is that most politicians are active in order to revenge their lost fathers and relatives, and they use this strategy to attract the people who feel weak without a leader representing their sect.
In other words, the Lebanese elections are utterly corrupted.

2) Do you think the Lebanese election system in which seats in every Qada are „reserved“for certain religious sects should be changed?

This is exactly the solution we should be working on in Lebanon for it would reduce the awkward competitiveness among sects and of course the hatred and “racism” if I may say.
However, this is not in the politicians’ best interest, since politicians need to use religion and the conflict among sects to enrich their popularity among the people of their sect.

3) In your Qada, who are the candidates you are going to vote for? Why do you prefer these candidates and what do you want them to change in your Qada?

Fortunately, I am aware of the Political game in lebanon and hence will be voting blank.

4) Did anybody approach you to „buy“ your vote?

No.

5) What are the main issues a new government should deal with?

Brainwashing the people

6) What do you expect to change if the opposition (March 8 plus aounists) should win the majority of seats in the elections?

Nothing much, people are mainly afraid of Hezbollah and their ‘mysterious’ plans. However, to me Hezbollah is what protects me and my people from another attack by Israel. I am not interested in Hezbollah inside Lebanon, for it is just another brainwashing party to me; however, knowing that Lebanon has no other force to defend its people from outsiders’ attacks, I support the Mukawama of Hizbollah, and wish that it becomes part of the Lebanese army, which we lack.

7) What else would you like to let Germans know about the elections in Lebanon?

The media is corrupted nowadays; news channels in Lebanon take sides, each party has its own news channel and is free to display the events and updates that are in its own favor. The people are being charged with hatred through the media and never-ending speeches.
The Lebanese media and elections are corrupted, however Lebanon is not the only case, I have relatives and friends around the world, and in many countries, the media is being selective in the news that it shows to avoid any conflict with the interest of their country. As happened in the several wars against Israel, when the media was showing that Hezbollah is the attacker and Israel is the victim, while we all know that Israel has been kidnapping and murdering our children and women ever since the country was created.


1) What are your general expectations concerning the upcoming elections in June? Do you think the elections can bring a change to the fragile situation in Lebanon? If yes, in which way?

I strongly believe that the upcoming election is very critical to the future of Lebanon. But the situation right now is very agitated and people are expecting war to occur this summer or some kind of turbulence. However, if everything was under control, the results of the election will definitely bring a change to the future of Lebanon. For instance if 14 March won the majority of seats, I expect the political situation to be the same as the past 4 years, they try to put new rules or decisions (ie the cameras in the airport) and if 8 March didn’t like it, we’ll see civil war and terrorist acts. And if 8 March, I see a very dark future, since Hezbullah doesn’t think in the best interest of the country, but of its sect (Shiite), its army, and its weapons, and their leaders (Syria and Iran). So decisions and legislation will be to their benefit, and no one can oppose.


2) Do you think the Lebanese election system in which seats in every Qada are „reserved“ for certain religious sects should be changed?

This is a very controversial issue. I personally do not believe in mixing religion with politics, so I do not believe that any system (army, public institutions, government, and parliament) should be divided according to religion. But there are arguments that the minorities would be suppressed and thus have no representative form its own religion. But if people weren’t racists to their religion then they wouldn’t mind if there wasn’t a parliament member from their religion and focus on the vision and plans of that parliament member.


3) In your Qada, who are the candidates you are going to vote for? Why do you prefer these candidates and what do you want them to change in your Qada?

In my Qada, which is Beirut 3, we have 3 seats to fill:
1 Shiite, 1 Sunnite, and 1 Armenian. The Armenian and the Shiite already passed with no one running against them (by political agreement, and the silly arrangement in Qatar). So I have to vote for the Sunnite seat, I know that of 14 March “Nuhad Al Mashnouk” but I have to say that I don’t know the other yet. I am waiting for the episode on “Kalam Al Nass” on LBC and watch the debate.

4) Did anybody approach you to „buy“ your vote?

Of course noone approached me to buy my vote, these are rumors. All people think that Hariri buys votes. But what they don’t know is that since the 1990s when his father Rafik Hariri was here, aids and support to the needy never stopped, if by that they are mislead to believe Hariri is buying votes. Anyway, I was only invited to a women breakfast for Future Movement to discuss the election issue.

5) What are the main issues a new government should deal with?

I think that the social and economics should come first, before any political issues, before the meetings about Hezbollah and whatever. The wages, the retirement funds, the infrastructure, electricity… and hundreds of socio-economical issues must come first.

6) What do you expect to change if the opposition (March 8 plus Aounists) should win the majority of seats in the elections?

As I mentioned before, I expect the worst. When they were in the opposition, they attacked (with guns and closed the roads) if a resolution didn’t suit them. What wouldn’t they do if they actually got the full power and legislation? Hezbullah doesn’t think in the best interest of the country, but of its sect (Shiite), its army, and its weapons, and their leaders (Syria and Iran). So decisions and legislation will be to their benefit, and no one can oppose.

7) What else would you like to let Germans know about the elections in Lebanon?

I would like them to know that after the May 7, when Hezbullah surrounded Beirut and attacked people, they went to Qatar and blackmailed to get what they want, and many things started to come out now. Like the political arrangement and the way they divided the Qada, and when should people withdraw. So they planned this election to win, and if they did and this became another Shiite country with 2 armies and close minded leader answering to Iran and Syria, I will definitely move to Germany, Bremen.


1) In which Qada’ do you vote?

Jezzine

2) What are your general expectations concerning the upcoming elections in June? Do you think the elections can bring a change to the fragile situation in Lebanon? If yes, in which way?

My general expectations for this election are that 14 march will win it but they are not going to be a majority like the last round. And I really hope that none of the 2 movements will win the majority or else we will have the same problems that occurred before the doha agreement.
I can’t see any radical change in the situation here; I’m afraid of some tension after the elections if one party did not accept his lost against the other. I can predict from now that many people will refuse the results and will not admit their lost which will worsen the situation and bring us to the same position.

3) Do you think the Lebanese election system in which seats in every Qada’ are “reserved“for certain religious sects should be changed?

I would love to have a secular state in which religion does not interfere with politics but I don’t see Lebanon anytime soon converting to this “laique” system especially that we are raised on differentiating people according to their religious views. There should be a change first in the mentalities and then it will spread to the political system in Lebanon.

4) In your Qada’, who are the candidates you are going to vote for? Why do you prefer these candidates and what do you want them to change in your Qada’?
I’m going to vote for two 14 march candidates and one from the tayyar party. Because I have to choose 3 and 14 March only supported 2 candidates in my qada because they know how hard for them to win it there; although form my opinion I think they have a good probability of wining especially that 2 lists from 8 march are running against each other.(Berry and Aoun). I will vote for Aoun candidate as the third one because I don’t agree with Berri’s ideologies and I don’t support them at all. (I’m choosing between the least evil)

5) Did anybody approach you to “buy“your vote?

So far, no.

6) What are the main issues a new government should deal with?

It should improve the economy of the country especially that we have great potentials of rising In the middle of this financial crisis.

7) What do you expect to change if the opposition (March 8 plus aounists) should win the majority of seats in the elections?

We will live in the unknown and we will never know when Israel will attack us especially that Hezbollah is in the power and has the authority and the legitimacy of attacking Israel anytime he desires.

8) What else would you like to let Germans know about the elections in Lebanon?
Elections in Lebanon are known to be the most expensive; it is no surprise for me because it looks like elections for 2 worldwide systems (Iran vs Israel and USA) and it’s not a local Lebanese elections. Lebanon has been like always an arena for wars. Our politicians buy and sell us for cheap prices.
We are still not independent in my opinion and we can’t be until we decide our own destiny and stop the intervention of the big powers in our politics.