BEIRUT, 10 June 2005 — Three days ahead of the third round of parliamentary elections in Lebanon, hardline Christian Gen. Michel Aoun and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt have said they fear for their lives.
“There are people more exposed to assassination than others and I believe I am one of those. I have taken measures to protect myself and continue to receive warnings from friendly security forces,” Aoun said in an interview with the London-based al-Hayat newspaper published yesterday.
Candidates are competing for 35 seats in the third stage of Lebanon’s four-phase election Sunday in Mount Lebanon, east of the capital Beirut.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Deutsche Welle Television’s (DW-TV) Arabic program Wednesday evening, Jumblatt made the same comments.
“As long as dozens of Syrian intelligence officers roam freely in Mount Lebanon, Beirut and the Bekaa, who is not under threat?” asked Jumblatt.
Aoun and Jumblatt are competing against each other in the Baabda-Aley district on Sunday in what is expected to be a tightly fought contest.
Aoun, a harsh critic of Syria who returned from exile on April 7 after Syria withdrew from Lebanon, made the surprise move of joining with Jumblatt’s Druze rival, pro-Syrian Talal Arslan.
Aoun repeated criticism of the Syrian-backed 2000 electoral law which he said marginalizes the Christians.
“The whole world was against the 2000 law and now everyone is for it,” Aoun said.
Likewise, Jumblatt told DW-TV he did not expect any real change in the political system following the elections.
“The current electoral system does not serve the purpose and allows only for a small number of new faces to enter the political arena,” he said.
