Whereas the current situation is regrettably developing in a course that does not serve the higher national interest,

Whereas selfishness and narrow interests are still governing our political performance,

Facing the deterioration of confessional and sectarian feuds that are a bad omen for the country,
Whereas this escalation threatens the country’s stability, shakes its unity, and makes it vulnerable to disunity and division,

Whereas our political life has reached such a dangerously low ebb of degradation,

And in light of this prevailing atmosphere of lies, trickery, and dualism in words and deeds,

After a careful review of the current situation,

Since you, Members of the press, have always been the voice that echoed the public opinion and expressed its obsessions, concerns, and aspirations,

Through you, I wanted to keep the public posted with the following developments, conveying you my thanks to have responded to my invitation. I also thank you for the confidence, understanding, and warmth you have showed me during my assumption of the parliamentary and governmental duties.

When I decided to enter into the national life and the political domain, I set main objectives, among which:

To participate, as a Member of Parliament, in the legislation and monitoring of the executive branch, and to meet, as much as possible, the developmental needs of my region that had been ignored for many years, in different arenas and on different levels.
In my capacity as Deputy Prime Minister, I endeavored to confront the transgressions, violations, corruption, and the squandering of public funds, although this post has so far been devoid of any legal and practical prerogatives. No office facilities were offered, nor was a budget earmarked by the State.

I made of this post a productive and effective one, whether through the successful accomplishing of the Ministerial Committees’ projects, or through the preparation of technical and legal studies of each item placed on the Cabinet’s agenda, or even through the participation in reaching effective solutions to the economic, financial, social and administrative crises the country had been gripped with.

I have accomplished this mission with the cooperation of a working team regrouping qualified individuals of high expertise, without however burdening the public treasury with any cost whatsoever.
I also sought, with the available resources and means, to put the relations I had developed with many world leaders, in the service of Lebanon.

I have assumed all this in line with a pledge I had made to myself according to which my performance as a Member of Parliament and a Member of the Council of Ministers would be under the following motto “To give to my country, and never take from it.”

Those were the goals and objectives I had set, under the difficult and critical time we have experienced, which then could not allow us to fulfill all our aspirations and dreams or to meet our needs.
Then, the events we have lately witnessed, especially the martyrdom of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, and the sadness, pain, repercussions, and aftershocks it left behind, followed by the end of the Syrian military and intelligence apparatus’ presence in Lebanon.

After all this, we thought that we would draw lessons,
that things would take a different course,
That the millions of citizens, mainly the rising generation, who had gathered in the squares of the capital calling for changes and appealing, under the umbrella of the Lebanese flag, for reforms and national reconciliation- in the largest demonstration and most wonderful national unity- would be responded to,
That the time of change had come;
However, we find ourselves not moving forward, but rather going backward:

Confessional and sectarian tension is on the rise;
Selfishness, favoritism, and the distribution of gains remain unchanged;
We are experiencing division and loss;
Most politicians view things only from their personal interests,

As if we did not draw any lesson from the war and from the tens of thousands of martyrs, wounded and handicapped, who have fallen.

The current developments reached their peak with the farce of the 2000 electoral law.

Is this the Lebanon to which we aspire?

The Lebanon I yearn for is a Lebanon that is abreast of the current age,
A strong, recovered, and prosperous Lebanon,

A Lebanon with effective institutions,
A Lebanon of justice and equality,
A Lebanon of fairness and justice,
A Lebanon united in words and deeds, for the divergence of opinions should not obstruct the vision.
The Lebanese are brothers in nationhood, not partners;
Partnerships can be broken and dissolved, but brotherhood is an eternal bind.
They do not fall under the domination or hegemony of those specialized in importing foreign tutorship and those ‘flabby’ politicians,

The only hope lies is in new leaderships, in a rebellious Lebanon revolting against those farces, charades, and pieces of theaters, against quotas, deals, and favoritism.

This is for the youth of Lebanon.

Addressing my brethren in Akkar, I reassure them that I will stay by their side. However, I will not accept that Akkar remains a zone of experiment. After the long path we have taken together, after Akkar has became a governorate, there are attempts to push it backward and to use it as a barricade to target some minorities here and there, in their belief that feelings and emotions could be mobilized to realize aims and make deals that do not serve the interests of Akkar and the future of its citizens.

For all these reasons, I have decided to apologize from all my beloved ones who have supported me—and they are many thank God!- because they are effective members of the Party of Decent People”. I hereby announce that I will not run in the upcoming Parliamentary elections.

I thank all my brethren in Akkar and the North for the respect, gratitude, love and loyalty they have showed me. I thank my brethren all over Lebanon for the confidence and goodwill they offered me.
I promise them to remain in their service, through my national activities and through the humanitarian and developmental institutions I oversee.

May God Preserve Lebanon!



QUESTIONS& ANSWERS

Upon the release of his communiqué in which he announced his decision to withdrawal from the coming electoral battle, former Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Issam Fares held a press conference with a great number of reporters.

His answers revolved around the unfair and unjust 2000 electoral law which he said fails to ensure a genuine, fair, and sound representation for all these factions and categories of the Lebanese people, and which violates the Taef Agreement and national reconciliation.


The first question was raised by the CNN reporter Miss Hoda el-Husseini.


Q) How would your decision help effect this change and help democratic life in Lebanon?

A) I can really perform better when I am not in the parliamentary forum under the prevailing juncture. I am aware that, through my contacts and efforts, I can better work for the sake of my country. I would have preferred to remain in good contact with the world and inform the international community about the developments in Lebanon.

Unfortunately, the world got one-track minded about Lebanon and insisted exclusively on the constitutional dates for the elections. But the elections’ dates are absolutely unconstitutional whereas the world has completely forgotten about the electoral law itself.

Both the setting of the electoral dates and the issuing of an electoral law should have taken place simultaneously. There are four stages in any election: the law, the alliances, then electoral voting day, then the counting ballot.

On the voting day, there is not much to see or supervise. The first two stages would already be behind us when the monitoring groups dispatched by the international community arrive. The electoral law would have been decided, and the electoral alliances would have been forged. There is not much to see on the electoral day.

As for the ballot counting, we are still in the Stone Age under the current primitive manual ballot counting: no computerized electoral systems, no possible voting for the electors from their place. Those are the points that the international community should


Commenting on MP Ahmad Fatfat’s declaration about him in the Parliament, he said, ‘Unfortunately, he made his declaration after I left the House of Parliament. I read his declaration today. I remind Mr. Fatfat that he had reached the Parliamentary forum thanks to the voices of Akkar’s electors. I believe, I am even confident, that the people of Akkar will hold accountable their electors if the 2000 electoral law is adopted. I finally remind Mr. Fatfat that I did not attend the voting session of the 2000 electoral session.


Q) Will you support any candidate running for the coming elections?

A) I am a voter and I will practice my electoral right. However, I will not run for the elections. This is a question of principle. I have already announced my position. I assure you that I was aware that this piece of theatre would take place.

I remember that I had met martyr late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri a few days before his assassination, in the presence of common friends: Ministers Seniora, Tabbara, and Aridi. At that day, he asked me, ‘What will you decide about the elections in Akkar?’. I said I would rather discuss this issue following the enacting of the electoral law. Mr. Hariri replied, saying, ‘Irrespective of the formula of this law, Akkar will be independent, whether as a Cada or Mohafaza.

I turned to Minister Tabbara, saying, ‘Don’t you believe that unless a new electoral law is enacted- apparently there is a trend not to enact it- then the 2000 electoral law will become legally effective?’. Mr. Tabbara replied, ‘I believe yes’. I answered him saying, ‘although we had then agreed upon it in one article and despite the exceptional situation’.

Upon this, he replied, ‘The issue could undergo examination’. I turned to Mr. Hariri, telling him, ‘Did you realize that such an option is possible? I knew that the 2000 electoral law was under debate’.
Q) Your decision not to run for the elections, is it your own or that or the electors in Akkar?

A) I did not say this is the opinion of the electorate in Akkar. I have apologized from the electors in Akkar, explained my point of view, and conveyed them my thanks for their love and support. We still have a long path to take, and I will never let them down, irrespective of the position I assume. I have a special relationship and exceptional binds with the town and citizens of Akkar. I will never forget my obligations and duties towards them.


Q) It is said that you have taken this decision due to your close ties with the Lebanese Presidency.

A) I am ashamed of those who insult the Lebanese President and offend the Lebanese Presidency. Our disrespect for the head of the pyramid reflects our disrespect for ourselves. The developments witnessed within the Parliament are inadmissible and unacceptable. There is a minimum respect for the position of the Presidency.


Q) You were member in the previous Governments. Why were you unable to reach a fair electoral law?

A) Unfortunately, you have no idea of the serious and frantic efforts I have provided to prod the legislators to examine a just electoral law that goes abreast with the present time. Following the 1996 elections, I took the initiative and continued my efforts after 2000. I had made many open declarations whenever I felt that communication is impossible and blocked. All my stances and communiqués are archived.

It is abnormal for a country to start thinking about an electoral law on the eve of elections. All countries worldwide enjoy a permanent electoral law. Regrettably, every echeance has its own timing and law. I endeavored a lot in this regard, but to no avail!


Q) You are not announcing your candidacy although you are aware of the prevailing political situation. Are you evading your responsibilities?

A) I do not evade my responsibilities at all! However, I stick to my position, and I will continue to carry out my duties and obligations towards my country. But there is a principle, and the current juncture amounts to a perversion. I do not accept to live in permanent perversion. I am not of those who evade their responsibilities. I am fully capable of serving my country irrespective of the position I assume.

I realized accomplishments for the last ten years in the public arena not only in my capacity as a deputy. My capabilities will always be mobilized for the service of my nation, irrespective of the position I assume.


In reply to a question, he said, I enjoy the support of the ‘Party of the Decent People’ who constitute the overwhelming majority of the Lebanese people. People can very well differentiate between the decent politicians and the indecent ones. The Lebanese people are fully aware of the truth. I affirm that I will always aspire at making changes and continuing to work, irrespective of my position, not only from the parliamentary forum.


Q) You said you had attempted to struggle against deals and corruption. Why were your attempts aborted?

A) This is a good question. However, you should raise it to those about whom we are complaining.


Q) Who are they?

A) They are known to everyone. Nothing is a secret.


Q) Will they be re-elected under the 2000 electoral law?

A) Yes, to the worse!


Commenting on the return of exiled General Michel Aoun, Mr. Fares said,

‘The return of General Aoun is of key importance. We pin high hopes on this return among other things. I believe the General will struggle against all this corruption. I am fully confident that he will confront this political team and this oppression I have mentioned. Hope he will not suffer as much as I did in realizing this’.


Asked about his position and how much it is related to coalitions, he said, ‘Since the assassination of Premier Hariri, no contact has been made to forge coalitions. I do not like to bargain with the blood of martyr Premier Hariri. May his soul rest in peace’.

Mr. Fares went on saying, ‘I remember that, in a meeting we held in 2000, Mr. Hariri told me he is uninterested in taking part in the electoral battle in the North, and that his friend Farid Makari is running on the list of Suleiman Franjieh, as well as Mr. Fatfat, expressing hope that I cooperate with him. I told him, ‘Since the law is effective, and since a Cada has been divided into two parts- the far being attached to us- I do not mind cooperating with him’.

‘And indeed, the votes that Mr. Fatfat had then secured in Akkar have helped him reach the Parliamentary debate, for the only sake of Premier Hariri.


Asked whether his decision was taken in coordination with the President of the Republic, he said, ‘I take my personal decisions without making any consultations. My relationship with the President is the relationship of a person with the position of the Presidency, the Presidency of the country. If disrespect is shown to the position of the Presidency in any country whatsoever, this country would lose credibility. I am not forging political coalitions with the President of the Republic; nevertheless, I show respect to his position and appreciation to his person. However, my political stances are private and personal, and are not the result of any interference at all. Anyhow, I will not renounce my role as an electoral, and I will carry out my national duty.


Q) Do you believe it is still possible to amend the 2000 electoral law?

A) I knew a few days ago that the wedding date has been fixed, but the identity of the bride and groom remains unknown. Is it still acceptable today that we debate the law? Is it permissible, on the eve of the elections, for the elector not to know his candidate and vice-versa? Are they waiting for the 28 of May to introduce such an amendment?


Q) Does your position amount to withdrawing your confidence from the Government?

A) A large proportion of deputies have given the Government their confidence because the Prime Minister had asserted that the Government rejects the 2000 electoral law, and that it will not withdraw the law submitted by the previous Governments. Apparently, the Government adopted this stance. It is on this basis that it gained confidence. Indeed, a large number of deputies are opposed to the 2000 electoral law.

I do not know to what extent my confidence or withdrawal of confidence would affect this. However, the situation is critical, and Premier Mikati is a friend of mine, as well as most of the ministers. Hope in the future we will re-experience the formation of such a Government that would regroup people of high expertise, and hope we will dissociate the Parliament from the Cabinet.


Q) How would you translate into action the points mentioned in your communiqué, which could serve as a platform of action for political salvation?

A) We will remain committed to our stance irrespective of our position. My stances are fixed and not subject to changes. I will always remain in the political sphere. I did this to record a stance regarding the electoral battle. Under the present law, and in light of the prevailing juncture, my stances, demands, and aspirations will remain unchanged. We are an integral part of this country, and we will never renounce the role we assume.


In an answer to a question, Mr. Fares said, ‘My beloved ones understand my conditions and should be taken into consideration. A relationship of love and amiability binds me to the people of Akkar who represent my family. My stance is final. Many attempts have been made by a number of parties, urging me to change my opinion. However, my stance is known to everyone.

The qualifications given to the loyalist and opposition forces are a big lie. With whom does the loyalist camp stand, and against whom does the opposition stand? Those are mere political expressions that have fallen. I believe that love for our country and people should prevail, above any personal interests and positions.


Wrapping up his press conference, former Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Issam Fares left Beirut on a private visit.