Wednesday, 15 October 2014

Pity the politicians: LF sue over 128 thieves jab


BEIRUT: Lebanese are not known for holding back their animosity towards politicians, casually referring to them as crooks and criminals who have plundered the country. Thus it came as a surprise when two citizens last week were charged with slander and libel for denouncing lawmakers as “thieves.”


The Civil Movement for Accountability - a coalition of NGOs and student associations - has been fighting a second extension of Parliament’s term through an active civil society campaign. In their Oct. 1 protest, activists from the CMFA took to the streets once again carrying their usual signs addressed to members of Parliament: “We’re sick of you,” “Get out,” and “128 thieves.” This time, however, the word “thieves” landed two of them with an unexpected lawsuit from the Lebanese Forces political party.


“The details of the lawsuit are somewhat vague at this time because the defendants have still not received an official legal document or subpoena,” Reda Hassan, communication manager at the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections, told The Daily Star.


“We basically found out last week when Lebanese Forces MP Fadi Karam announced the lawsuit in the media and then the National News Agency confirmed it,” Hassan said.


Karam’s announcement sparked an uproar on social media, which would soon be swarming with selfies of citizens holding up signs similar to the one that got the activists in trouble.


The CMFA emphasized that the basis for their accusations has never been monetary, and that their reasons for calling the MPs thieves have been clear since the outset of the movement.


“They are violating the Constitution and the people’s sovereignty,” said Hassan. “They are occupying Parliament; stealing our right to vote and to elect our representatives.”


During a press conference held Saturday in response to the lawsuit, the CMFA demanded the Lebanese Forces publicly apologize to the Lebanese people for “attempting to silence their voices.” They also insisted that the party drop its charges, describing the lawsuit as “a reflection of the level of arrogance in the political class.”


“We consider this a legal action against civil society, our entire movement, and everything it represents,” Hassan explained, “starting with the first 17-month extension in May 2013, and up until now.”


If the legislature extends its mandate, this will be the second time in less than two years. While polls are set to take place in November, an extension appears to be looming due to the unstable security situation and the presidential void dragging on into its fifth month.


“What is most unsettling about this lawsuit is that we have members of an already illegitimate Parliament filing a lawsuit against their own people, against citizens who are paying the MPs’ salaries and [who] are simply asking for elections,” Hassan added.


He believes the suit may be a media stunt by the Lebanese Forces to reinforce their position against the proposed extension and set themselves apart from the parties in Parliament who support postponing the vote.


“We support all aspects of the CMFA, but we will not accept these generalizations,” Melhem Riachi, chairman of the Lebanese Forces’ communication department, told The Daily Star. “They can’t claim that everyone is a thief, and especially not the Lebanese Forces MPs. They have to put their finger on the wound; to specify the thieves and the sources of corruption.”


Aside from this contention, Riachi stressed that the party and its MPs are with the activists at the forefront of the movement demanding elections. “We do not insist on taking them to court,” he continued, “but we want them to take a public stance now and ensure that these chaotic accusations will not continue.”


The CMFA argues that any politicians who consider themselves exempt from accusations must take more effective actions to prevent the extension. “It’s not enough to make public statements condemning it without really doing anything,” Hassan elaborated, referring to the supervisory council that has yet to be approved by the government in order to oversee parliamentary elections.


He also pointed to the apparent lack of electoral campaigns, despite the Interior Ministry’s announcement in September that there are 514 final candidates. “These are some of the most important indicators of whether or not the politicians actually intend on holding elections.”


Instead of deterring the movement, news of the lawsuit seems to have further motivated activists, who claim that they refuse to let it hijack their cause. In parallel with the online campaign, the CMFA has called for a protest Wednesday evening at Riad al-Solh Square in downtown Beirut to express their frustration with the ordeal and reaffirm their views against the extension.


“The legal and logical grounds of the lawsuit are so absurd that public support for us has been overwhelming,” Hassan observed. “It should be clear though that our framework has not changed. We are standing in the face of the extension, and even if it seems inevitable, we will continue to do so.”



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