Today we hear from Aoun that we should not let the recent downing of a military helicopter and the killing of its pilot influence the political solution to be reached regarding Hezbollah’s arms. Then we hear almost in the same breath a new claim that the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) is over-hiring and that it has people on its payroll who are not working:
وأشار عون إلى أن “مجلس الإنماء والإعمار خصص 300 مليون ليرة لإجراء إمتحانات توظيف لـ38 شخصاً، في الوقت الذي يوجد لديه فائض موظفين يتقاضون أجوراً من دون القيام بأي عمل في المقابل، وهم في بيوتهم”، وطالب بـ”توقيف الإمتحانات وإعادة توظيف من يتقاضى أجوراً من منزله”. كما شدد عون على ضرورة تأمين الاعتمادات اللازمة للانتخابات النيابية، سائلاً: “هل الحديث عن صعوبة تأمين هذه الاعتمادات هو عذر لإلغاء البت بالإصلاحات؟ وهل ستعلن الدولة إفلاسها قبل الانتخابات”؟
Of course, everyone knows that the CDR is dominated by Sunnis. This is not a good thing in itself, but then that is how Lebanon’s bureaucracy is. Majlis El-Jnoub is dominated by Shia. Yet, Aoun is not attacking this particular problem but claiming that the government and the March 14 political block is favoring Sunnis by turning a blind eye towards corruption and fraud in the CDR. While the truth is every part of the Lebanese bureaucracy is plagued by corruption with Majlis El-Jnoub, Berri’s baby, being far from an exception. In fact, corruption in Majlis El-Jnoub has been going on for decades but Aoun does not speak up against that.
Its just politics, you say? Well, actually, its very reckless politics, because it is sectarian politics and it is disgusting. It gives people the impression that Sunnis are taking over and living it up on the back of the March 14 government. What it ends up doing is creating more hate between various sects built on lies propagated about each other.
Of course, he is throwing this out there to try to overshadow the Hezbollah killing of the helicopter pilot, whether by mistake or intentionally. He wants his supporters to focus on something else so he cooks up some more rumors and false claims of corruption against the March 14 block. Meanwhile corruption continues to fester in all parts of the Lebanese state and Hezbollah continues to play army in any part of Lebanon it wants to and continues to be the last word on whether we are at war or not.
Ever since Aoun parted with March 14 he has been on the offensive against the Hariris and their Future Movement, fomenting hate towards them and the Sunni community in general. He always has a lot to say about downtown Beirut and has even threatened to send his supporters there to burn it down. He has attacked all of Hariris initiatives and has often insinuated that Hariri was a traitor and that he was planning mass nationalization of Palestinians despite the constitution forbidding this. As a result, his supporters have developed an intense hatred for Sunnis and many believe that March 14 is just a cover for an all-out Islamization of Lebanon for the benefit of the Sunnis.
Of course, none of this is true and is only fabricated to increase Aoun’s popularity based simply on age old sectarian divisions in the country. Its a shame and will only take Lebanon further down the road towards all out destruction sooner or later. This is not the work of a man who loves his country.
