Saturday 20 June 2009

Franjieh: Patriarch Sfeir's Positions Are His Own Not Church's


Franjieh: Patriarch Sfeir's Positions Are His Own Not Church's
Readers Number : 28

20/06/2009 The head of the Marada movement MP-elect Sleiman Franjieh criticized on Friday Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir saying the latter's positions reflect his personal views not those of the Church.

Franjieh said the patriarch had "gone too far by casting doubt on the intentions of the Christian opposition."

"I believe he sees us as traitors and that we are selling our homeland to Iran. It took him a long time before he (spoke) of Arabism, we are way ahead," he said.

Franjieh went as far as calling for a separation between Bkirki, the Church and Sfeir, who the MP said was voicing "his personal will."

The Marada leader said Sfeir had invited denunciation when he "touched on sects and religious ranks and he received the reply."

"Each one of us has the right to self defense," Franjieh said, adding that Bkirki was "harming its stature by placing itself in an unnecessary position."

He also accused former MP Fares Soaid of drafting the patriarch's statement on the eve of the elections.

Meanwhile, Franjieh voiced his support for the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Michel Aoun and repeated opposition demands for "veto power and more" in the new government. He also insisted that the opposition will only participate in a government of national unity. "Either we are in or we are not," he said.

Franjieh wondered whether March 14 wanted the Resistance's weapons arsenal as "a guarantee in a (future) ministerial declaration."

"If so, let them give us veto power and they can have which ever declaration they want. Last time they legalized the arsenal in the statement and later conspired against it," he added.

On the future prime minister, the MP said the opposition was waiting for the return from Riyadh of MP Saad Hariri, who is so far the only candidate for the post. "If he is still a candidate, then he will need national consensus. But if the contender is PM Fouad Saniora, there will be a different stand," he said. The second scenario, Franjieh said, "does not invite optimism because it means that Saudi Arabia decided to strengthen its grip on Lebanon."

The former interior minister expressed gratitude for the Maronite League for initiating reconciliation among Christians. "We accept reconciliation for the best interest of the Christians although we will not benefit from it," he added.

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