Lebanese Strong Transparent Democracy Organization (LSTDO)
Lebanese current events of Décember 11, 2007.
Reflexions on the political and economic Lebanese
news.
Michel SOLEIMAN election is illegal and unconstitutional
Please note that the LSTDO is not against General Michel SOLEIMAN concerning his personality. We only have a duty of transparency and respect of the Constitution, which prohibits, in the present status, the election of this Lebanese army senior Official.
I -
Here are the texts of the Constitution concerning the election of the president of the republic. They are clear and precise. It is obvious that, in the current state of the Lebanese political crisis with a vacancy of the presidency, the parliament has no right to change the texts of the Constitution. There is no doubt that the election of General Michel SOLEIMAN who is still in office as head of the army is illegal.
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Article 49 [Presidential Powers]:
(1) The President of the Republic is the bead of the state and the symbol of the nation's unity. He shall safeguard the constitution and Lebanon's independence, unity, and territorial integrity. The President shall preside over the Supreme Defense Council and be the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces which fall under the authority of the Council of Ministers.
(2) The President of the Republic shall be elected by secret ballot and by a two thirds majority of the Chamber of Deputies. After a first ballot, an absolute majority shall be sufficient. The President's term is for six years. He may not be re-elected until six years after the expiration of his last mandate. No one may be elected to the Presidency of the Republic unless he fulfills the conditions of eligibility for the Chamber of Deputies.
(3) It is also not possible to elect judges, Grade One civil servants, or their equivalents in all public institutions to the Presidency during their term or office or within two years following the date of their resignation or their leaving office for whatever reason.
Article 73 [Election of the President]:
One month at least and two months at most before the expiration of the term of office of the President of the Republic, the Chamber is summoned by its President to elect the new President of the Republic. However, should it not be summoned for this purpose, the Chamber meets of its own accord on the tenth day preceding the expiration of the President's term of office.
Article 74 [Vacancy of Presidency]:
Should the Presidency become vacant through the death or resignation of the President or for any other cause, the Chamber meets immediately and by virtue of the law to elect a successor. If the Chamber happens to be dissolved at the time the vacancy occurs, the electoral bodies are convened without delay and, as soon as the elections have taken place, the Chamber meets by virtue of the law.
Article 75:
The Chamber meeting to elect
the President of the Republic is considered an electoral body and not a
legislative assembly. It must proceed immediately, without discussion or any
other act, to elect the Head of the State.
In Article 75, we note that the parliament has no
legislative authority and cannot change any laws and the constitution until it
has elected the president of the republic. Paragraph 3 of Article 49 is to
prevent high officials from abusing their power to gain the presidency by
corruption and patronage.
With the previous article, (74), we do know that the deputies were to be in
permanent meeting in the meeting room of the parliament since November 24, 2007,
date of Président Emile LAHOUD mandate end, without the need for authorization from Mr.
Nabih BERRY. They were to remain in
parliament until the selection of a president of the republic by votes in the
secret ballot in as many rounds of voting as it could be necessary!
II -
Moreover, LSTDO can not understand that the Revolution of Cedar eventually elect to the presidency a head of the army who was appointed by the Syrian regime since 1998! In his function of head of the army, General Michel SOLEIMAN was unable to prevent injustices against the Lebanese during the period of Syrian hegemony.
III -
We ask questions about the possibility of a military coup disguised as an election. The army has squared Beirut before the sudden onset of the candidacy of the head of the army! Are there pressures currently against deputies?
IV -
If the General Michel SOLEIMAN, Chief of the Army, wants to help the free and democratic Lebanese people, it would be better to implement immediately the Constitution by asking the deputies of the parliament to meet and elect immediately a president without his candidacy, and in the strict observance of the Constitution.
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You can choose the Arabic-speaking or the French-speaking pages while clicking on the adequate flag.
The unique Web address of the reception page of the Organization Site is:
http://www.lebanese-transparent-democracy.org
Contact of the Management of The Organization :
webmaster@lebanese-transparent-democracy.org
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Name of the Organization on the French-speaking pages:
Association pour la Démocratie Forte
Transparente au Liban (ADFTL)
Name of the Organization on the Arabic-speaking pages:
التجمع الديمقراطي القوي الشفاف في لبنان
Name of the Organization on the English-speaking pages:
Lebanese Strong Transparent Democracy
Organization (LSTDO)
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LSTDO/ Michel SOLEIMAN election is illegal and unconstitutional.11 -12-2007
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