Elias Bejjani: It is a pleasure, General Aoun, as always, to host you on our news lines to convey your patriotic courageous stances on critical Lebanese national issues to the Canadian and American Lebanese communities, and to Lebanon’s friends and supporters all over the world. General Aoun, the first phase of the Lebanese municipal and mayoral elections is scheduled in Mount Lebanon next week on the 24^th of May, and the Free National Current is participating actively in it. In this context what are your expectations for its end results, and do you believe the regime is going to be neutral and impartial?

General Aoun: I am certain the regime is not going to be neutral or impartial, its officials already started applying extensive immoral pressures on opposition supporters and members through fabricating false penalties affecting their homes, jobs, public services and private businesses. Lately many citizens were illegally summoned to official bureaus where the regime figures harassed, terrorized, intimidated and threatened them. Most of these atrocities were orchestrated by Interior Minister Mr. Michele Mur in North Maten territory.

The Free National Current is participating in these elections in accordance to a modernized, democratic, nationwide public comprehensive platform (Programme). We appealed to the Lebanese people to support the spirit of change through their votes for the best. We made it very clear that no alliances with the regime supporters or figures is going to take place, no matter what the end results, means or circumstances are. How can we form any kind of alliance with the imposed regime when its officials are displacing citizens, stealing their properties, impoverishing them, corrupting the public institutions, collaborating with the occupants, and putting the nation’s decision making process in the hands of foreigners. Those regime officials can’t be fair in any way, they are trying to install their puppets in the municipal and mayoral councils. The Lebanese people should not allow this atrocity to happen.

The Free National Current is not involving itself in nominee names; this issue has been left completely to the people themselves in each village and town.

Elias Bejjani: Where does the Free National Current stand in Beirut’s elections and is there any possibility for forming a complete opposition ticket?

General Aoun: all the possibilities are there, the list is already in place and it is just a matter of time when it will be announced publicly. We are cooperating closely with many influential patriotic Beiruti factions, The residents of Beirut are fighting courageously in every peaceful and democratic possible way to stop the Hariri devastating fake reconstruction plans that has sold their city and converted it to just stocks in the stock market.

Elias Bejjani: General Aoun, how can we justify the Free National Current’s participation in these elections based on the regimes shameful record in the last two Parliamentary elections? You said few weeks ago " even practicing prayers in the shadow of occupation is a sin". Do you think the participation was a wise decision, and do you believe the right to a free vote will be respected?

General Aoun: The Municipal and mayoral elections are completely different from the parliamentary elections. The ultimate results of parliamentary elections are merely political; they effect deeply, nationally vital matters due to its legislative power. The parliament could engage in accords, rules and agreements that negatively imposes dangerous internal and foreign (external) new national obligations, typical of what is presently happening with the fraudulent parliament. For all these reasons we refused to take any part in the last two parliamentary elections and accordingly we don’t recognize the legality of the appointed current parliament.

On the other hand, the Municipal and Mayoral elections have no political consequences or effects, they are purely administrative. The Lebanese have an obligation to participate in them actively in a bid to control all decisions made for their villages and towns..."the municipality is like ones own house, and this house is the municipality". If we had had good municipal and mayoral councils, Lebanon would not have become an international dumping ground for poisonous waste products, or a haven for all environment, history treasures, nature and culture enemies. The environment would have been scientifically protected, and our air, water and soil would not have been jeopardized and allowed to reach lethal levels of pollution, and most importantly the future of our natural resources would have not been exposed to such savage sabotage.

Municipal and mayoral councils freely elected by the people can focus on internal basic issues related to development, environment, planning, public restructuring, roads, highways, water, sewer, electricity and many other important services that effects the citizens every day life.

We call on all the Lebanese to participate strongly in the vote. Their participation will put into office their own honest patriotic representatives who will serve their villages and towns interests. Not participating or voting against the genuine opposition nominees will help regimes' puppets to control the municipal and mayoral councils.

We are an hundred percent sure that the regime officials will resort to all kinds of atrocities to intimidate and harass the patriotic honest citizens. These officials are well known for their selfishness, subservience and submission to their masters the occupants.

One of the main aims for participation in these elections is to put an end to the illegal Mafia-like practices and atrocities of the regime puppet and keep them as much as possible out of the municipal and mayoral councils.

Elias Bejjani: General Aoun, is there any thing else that you would like to share with the Lebanese communities and their friends in Diaspora? Two weeks ago " even practicing prayers in the shadow of occupation is a sin". Do you think the participation was a wise decision, and do you believe the right to a free vote will be respected?

General Aoun: The Municipal and mayoral elections are completely different from the parliamentary elections. The ultimate results of parliamentary elections are merely political; they effect deeply, nationally vital matters due to its legislative power. The parliament could engage in accords, rules and agreements that negatively imposes dangerous internal and foreign (external) new national obligations, typical of what is presently happening with the fraudulent parliament. For all these reasons we refused to take any part in the last two parliamentary elections and accordingly we don’t recognize the legality of the appointed current parliament.

On the other hand, the Municipal and Mayoral elections have no political consequences or effects, they are purely administrative. The Lebanese have an obligation to participate in them actively in a bid to control all decisions made for their villages and towns..."the municipality is like ones own house, and this house is the municipality". If we had had good municipal and mayoral councils, Lebanon would not have become an international dumping ground for poisonous waste products, or a haven for all environment, history treasures, nature and culture enemies. The environment would have been scientifically protected, and our air, water and soil would not have been jeopardized and allowed to reach lethal levels of pollution, and most importantly the future of our natural resources would have not been exposed to such savage sabotage.

Municipal and mayoral councils freely elected by the people can focus on internal basic issues related to development, environment, planning, public restructuring, roads, highways, water, sewer, electricity and many other important services that effects the citizens every day life.

We call on all the Lebanese to participate strongly in the vote. Their participation will put into office their own honest patriotic representatives who will serve their villages and towns interests. Not participating or voting against the genuine opposition nominees will help regimes' puppets to control the municipal and mayoral councils.

We are an hundred percent sure that the regime officials will resort to all kinds of atrocities to intimidate and harass the patriotic honest citizens. These officials are well known for their selfishness, subservience and submission to their masters the occupants.

One of the main aims for participation in these elections is to put an end to the illegal Mafia-like practices and atrocities of the regime puppet and keep them as much as possible out of the municipal and mayoral councils.

Elias Bejjani: General Aoun, is there any thing else that you would like to share with the Lebanese communities and their friends in Diaspora?

General Aoun: I call on the Lebanese living in Diaspora to contact their families, relatives and friends in occupied Lebanon and encourage them to take an active role in the changing process through elections. To persuade them to vote for the honest, patriotic, educated and liberal nominees. All Lebanese are expected to free themselves from, feudalism, denominational, tribal and financial patterns of behavior that govern currently the municipal and mayoral councils.

Our battle is to liberate the people of Lebanon from the hostage and subservience mentality so we all can build a healthy nation in which all Lebanese will be able to enjoy a genuine national democracy based on respect for human rights, democracy, fairness, freedom, prosperity and security. I call on all Lebanese to be proud of their history, identity, heritage, and multi-cultural pluralistic society. We all have an obligation to defend our country and to take clear and straightforward national stances. There is no place for neutrality in national struggle for liberation and no stranger is going to liberate our occupied Lebanon. We have to do it ourselves, so let us start with these elections. Our cause is a fair one; we should never give up the struggle or be submissive to feelings of despair, helplessness or hopelessness. Occupation powers sooner or later will leave Lebanon and Lebanon shall be again a free country by God’s will.
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