Aoun Rejects Appointments: Judicial Independence Missing!

Aoun Rejects Appointments: Judicial Independence Missing!
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09/03/2009 The head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Michel Aoun said on Monday would not "mourn" because acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern affairs Jeffrey Feltman had not visited him on the US envoy's Mideast tour.

"Feltman did not visit me. And I am not in mourning," Aoun told reporters following his parliamentary bloc weekly meeting. "I gained an hour of what could have been a waste of my time," he added.

Feltman and fellow envoy Daniel Shapiro were in Lebanon on Friday and again Sunday to reassure leaders of Washington's continued support despite rapprochement with Syria.

Shifting his focus to Lebanon, Aoun slammed the judiciary for becoming politicized and said he did not want a review of recent judicial appointments rather a revamp of the whole system.

"Judicial independence is missing," Aoun said, lamenting that the judiciary "has become subject to partitioning and to the (political) authority."

The way through which the appointments were handled was reminiscent of "the former troika" system, Aoun said. "As a matter of principle, we reject and oppose the conditions under which the judicial appointments were made," he added.

The General explained that the opposition's position on the appointments was not a personal attack against the judges. "Regardless of who the judges are, there are ethical standards that must be implemented and this is a matter we will not compromise on," he said.

"The judiciary's most important qualities are integrity and competence," Aoun recalled, disclosing that his bloc was preparing a draft law under which Parliament would ensure judicial independence. Under the bill, the Supreme Judicial Council will become the "highest elected authority and will have command of decision-making," Aoun said, noting that what he was proposing was "a new judicial system altogether."

AOUN WARNS AGAINST VOTING FOR THIEVES

Earlier in the day, Aoun said on Monday that the visit he has paid to Syria aimed at safeguarding the institutions. "We did not go to Syria to sell our state institutions but to safeguard them," Aoun told FPM-allied teachers on Teachers' day. "We should safeguard the people. We are open to all parties and to new options," he added.

Aoun stressed that Christians in Lebanon cannot be isolated, adding that they also shouldn't attempt to isolate themselves. "Some parties tried to isolate Christians. This is wrong," he said. "When we reject others, we would be belittling ourselves. We should be always positive," he pointed out.

"Building a powerful state cannot be through punishing minor abuses of the law, rather through holding those behind major theft and corruption accountable," the FPM leader declared. "Why should we be silent and not publicize the identity of those stealing? How are we supposed to vote for candidates who are thieves in the upcoming parliamentary elections?" he wondered.

The General, meanwhile, called for creating a new educational national program, noting that this issue will be part of the Change and Reform's electoral agenda, which will be announced before the upcoming parliamentary elections. He called for improving Lebanon's educational standards, which would ensure a powerful state. He said that there was a huge disparity between "what we learn and what we implement."

Aoun warned against political inequality, which he said would lead to a coup, revolutions and would result in an increase in crime. "We need to educate these people to respect the freedoms of others and their right to express views without being intimidated," he said. "We need better education systems. We should educate our children to support peace instead of war, which is a barbarian act."

He also said education led to open and diverse societies and called for accepting others, including opponents, and for practicing freedoms while respecting others'.

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