Off the wire
• Duterte: the Philippines to enforce smoking ban  • Afghan official says gov't to probe recent fall of Kunduz city  • India, Pakistan troops exchange fire on Kashmir LoC  • Lithuanian health minister passes away aged 34  • 4th LD-Writethru-China Headlines: China to launch Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft on Oct. 17  • Duterte leaves for Brunei to enhance "special ties"  • Weather forecast for major Chinese cities, regions -- Oct. 16  • Weather forecast for world cities -- Oct. 16  • Top news items in major Kenyan media outlets  • Top news items of S. African major media outlets  
You are here: 　 Home

FPM supporters mark 26th anniversary of ouster of its founder in Lebanon

Xinhua, October 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

Supporters of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) flocked Sunday from all Lebanese regions to an area outside the presidential palace in Baabda to mark the 26th anniversary of the ouster of FPM founder MP Michel Aoun by Syrian forces.

Thousands of FPM supporters were seen carrying FPM flags chanting slogans urging respect for the 1943 National Pact, which is an unwritten agreement that set the foundations of modern Lebanon as a multi-confessional state based on Christian-Muslim partnership.

Aoun served as the head of one of two rival governments contending for power in Lebanon from 1988 to 1990.

He declared a so-called "liberation war" against Syrian forces stationed in Lebanon on March 14, 1989. On Oct. 13, 1990, he was ousted from the presidential palace after the Syrian forces invaded the areas that were under his control.

Gebran Bassil, FPM chief and Lebanon's Foreign Affairs Minister, had recently threatened that FPM would "topple the government" through street protests if the other parties do not heed the movement's demand regarding "partnership" and the National Pact.

FPM, which has the biggest Christian bloc in parliament, has suspended its participation in cabinet sessions and national dialogue meetings over accusations that other parties in the country are not respecting the National Pact.

The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid have also argued that he is more eligible than Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.

Lebanon has been without a president since the six-year term of former President Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014, and the parliament failed to elect a new president after 45 electoral sessions.

The constitution stresses the attendance of two thirds of the 128-seat parliament to proceed with electing the president who should obtain two thirds of the votes in the first round and a simple majority in the following rounds.

According to the National Pact, the president should be a Christian Maronite, the Speaker a Muslim Shiite and the Premier a Muslim Sunni. Endit