Declaration and membeship of
Lebanon Opposition 'Bristol Gathering'

The largest multi-sectarian opposition bloc in the history of Lebanon was born in Beirut this week with Druze overlord and MP Walid Jumblat taking center stage. Scores of Muslim and Christian politicians critical and opposed to the Syrian-backed regime of President Emile Lahoud met at the Bristol Hotel and announced an historical document known as the Bristol Declaration. It denounced the amendment of the Lebanese constitution and the extension of Lahoud's term in office under Syrian duress, demanded a fair and just election law and an impartial government to supervise the upcoming elections next year.

Here for the record is a textual translation of the Bristol Declaration as published in the press on December 14, 2004:

Extending the term of office of President Emile Lahoud by violating the constitution meant an extension of the disastrous state of affairs that is prevailing in the country. It also put Lebanon in a serious confrontation with the international community. Such crisis underlined the failure of the authorities to build a state that is capable of addressing the concerns of the Lebanese. This failure was brought about by the repeated violations of the Taif Accord in both its domestic and foreign phases, as well as by undermining public institutions, undercutting the principle of separation of powers, interfering in the judicial process as well as oppressing liberties, the spread of corruption, the swelling of the public debt and the increase in poverty. It also depleted the country from its human resources, especially the youths, and destroyed the environment. Moreover, the principle of rotation of power remained suspended because of undermining the democratic mechanisms and transforming the political system into a security structure manipulated by the Syrian security services and their Lebanese tentacles.

Based on the above, the opposition forces in Lebanon are of the opinion that if the country is to emerge from its crisis, an independent, Arab, sovereign and democratic state should rise. Such state must be capable of providing for its citizens decent living, and able also to mobilize all the resources of the country in order to confront the urgent challenges Lebanon faces at several levels.

The opposition believes that the only way for the emergence of an effective authority that is worthy of respect is to return to the Lebanese their right to choose their own authority by way of conducting honest parliamentary elections.

Independent Trustworthy Personalities Sought

And it has become clearly apparent that the current government, through its composition and practices, is working to divide the Lebanese, and that it harbors enmity toward a large part of them. This makes it incapable of supervising such elections. It must therefore resign, and be replaced by a neutral government, which is composed of independent trustworthy personalities.

The mission of such government would be the following:

--Issue a modern and democratic election law that secures true and honest public representation.

--Prevent the Syrian security services, and their Lebanese counterparts, from intervening in the political life, especially in the election process.

--Ending the interference of the security services with the media, and prohibiting the use of public funds and black boxes to finance election campaigns Also, to combat bribery and the use of private funds to forge the will of the voters.

--Appointing new members to the Constitutional Council in order to replace those whose term ended. Such appointments should be made from among those in the judiciary who possess the needed qualifications and enjoy independence and integrity in order to regain public trust in that important constitutional institution.

A Salvation Government

Based on the above, a salvation government should emerge from the new parliament whose purpose would be to carry out the following:

--Implement the Taif Accord with regard to its domestic articles, as well with those that are related to the Syrian presence in Lebanon, and ensuring that the Lebanese people regain their right to manage their own affairs within the context of a free, democratic, sovereign and independent state. Also, to start the establishment of relations with Syria that are based on parity, as well as to review some of the agreements that were concluded with it in a way that ensures their balance to the advantage of both countries. The opposition notes that differences exist among its members with regard to the Syrian presence.

--Revitalize the democratic system and the principles on which it was founded in order to secure the freedom and independence of the judicial authority, and to revive the monitoring institutions, start the effort to modernize the administration, combat corruption, work to regain the confidence of Lebanese and foreigners alike through demonstrating the ability of the Lebanese system to operate once more according to the rules of justice, the constitution and the law.

--Emphasize the role of Lebanon as an active partner in the Arab-Israeli

struggle, as well as the right and duty of the Lebanese state in deciding the question of war and peace, and in avoiding policies that return Lebanon to being a place of struggle among foreign powers. Also, to highlight the government's duty to embrace the forces that contributed to the liberation of the south from Israeli occupation. The opposition recognizes that differences exist among its members with regard to the continuation of the resistance, and over the question of deploying the army in the south.

--Commitment to human rights, as well as to public and individual freedoms, in particular the right of the citizen to self expression away from any interference by the authority and its services. Also, respect for the privacy of correspondence and communication and movement, and recognizing the legal rights of individuals in the judicial process. In addition to annul the malicious procedures that led to the closing of the MTV station.

--Reject all forms of the security regime, and restricting the activities of the security services to matters relating to military security only, and subordinating such services to the political authority, as well as ending their interference in political matters, plus ending forced military conscription, as well as limiting the jurisdiction of the military tribunal to matters relating to the military institution.

--Freeing all political prisoners, especially Samir Geagea, and securing the return of all exiles, especially General Michel Aoun.

--Highlighting Lebanon's solidarity with the Palestinian people in its struggle to build their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, as well as emphasizing the right of return to all Palestinians, and rejecting their settlement in Lebanon. Also, working for handing over the weapons of the Palestinians in the refugee camps peacefully, and securing for them their humanitarian rights until they attain the solution that allows them to join the anticipated Palestinian state.

--Revive Lebanon's Arab role and contributing to the efforts that are underway to restore all Arab rights, and confronting the backwardness and securing democratic development for Arab societies.

--Emphasize adherence to international law and the international legitimacy as well as insisting on rejecting the logic of force.

Social-Economic Issues

--To give high priority to the process of fiscal reform in order to break the vicious circle between the increase of public debt and the rising budget deficit, as well as pay close attention to the proper utilization of Arab and international support to that end.

--Open a national workshop in order to rebuild a modern and productive economy that revitalizes the economic activity and stimulates domestic and foreign investments, especially the participation of the immigrants in a way that reinforces perpetual development and secures domestic social justice, while allowing competition abroad.

--Secure balance and harmony among the various sectors by subsidizing the sectors of industry and agriculture in order to enable them to become more specialized and competitive, as well as protecting them from illegal competition, smuggling across the borders, and reinforcing the progress that has been achieved in the fields of finance, tourism and information services.

--Emphasize the social duties of the state, and renewing the human capital of Lebanon by the following:

--An education policy that guarantees a continuous development of the educational system in all its ingredients, especially public education and the Lebanese University.

-- A national health policy that goes beyond the existing state of affairs, which is expensive and of little efficiency.

--An employment policy that connects the labor market with the educational system, and provides for the contentious vocational training for the Lebanese work force in order to maintain its competitiveness, while regulating the entry of foreign labor into Lebanon only according to the market's need.

--Supporting small and medium-size institutions, and securing a larger presence for women and the youths in public affairs, education, the economy and the labor market, as well as regaining the independence of associations, and enlarging the middle class so that it may constitute a social safety valve, and reinforcing social security systems and providing support for the weak layers of society and to persistently seek their assimilation economically and socially.

--Paying particular attention to the ecological balance in order to remedy the deformation of the urban and rural lives of the Lebanese, and the losses that Lebanon suffers in vast areas of its greenery, polluting the air and water, as well as violating the beaches and the mountains through their chaotic use by those who have access to high authorities. In addition, preparing and executing a grand design for regulating the use of land.

Finally, the forces of the Lebanese opposition, while they emphasize the principle of unity through diversity, offer the Lebanese this manifesto, which contains a program that includes some options and choices that secure the emergence of Lebanon from the dilemmas it is enduring, and regard the coming parliamentary elections an important juncture on that path, and they commit themselves to all Lebanese that they will enter the elections campaign joined together throughout Lebanon for the sake of a better future for all of us, which we have awaited for so long, yet it is no longer out of reach.

Members

Qornet Shehwan Gathering
MPs Fares Souaid, Nayla Moawad, Antoine Ghanem, Salah Honein, Butros Harb, Nassib Lahoud, Pierre Gemayel, Mansour Ghanem Al Bone, Former President Amin Gemayal, Dr. Farid Khazen, Simon Karam, Shakib Qortbawi, Samir Abdelmalak, Samir Franjieh, Gebran Tueni, Gabriel Al Murr, Michel Khoury, Lebanese Forces Representatives Eddy Abillameh, Farid Habib, Jean Aziz, and Toufic Al Hindi

Democratic Gathering (of Walid Jumblat)
MPs Walid Jumblat, Marwan Hamadeh, Ayman Chouqair, Akaram Shohayeb, Nabil Boustani, George Deeb Nehmeh, Elie Aoun, Henry Helou, Fouad Al-Saad, Abdallah Frahat, Salah Honein (also a member of Qornet Shehwan), Mohammad Hajjar, Alaeddine Terro, Antoine Andraos, Bassem Al Sabeh, Nehmeh Tohme, Antoine Ghanem (also a member of Qornet Shehwan and the Kataeb Reform Movement) . Progressive Socialist Party (Walid Jumblat) Wael Abou Faour, Sherif Fayyad

Beirut Decision Bloc and Future Current MPs
Ghattas Khouri, Atef Majdalani, Ghinwa Jalloul, Mohammad Qabbani, Walid Eido, Michel Pharaon, Nabil De Freij, Jean Hogassapian, Serg Torsarkisian, Yeghia Djiridjian,Hagop Kssarjian, Bassel Fuleihan (severly injured during the Hariri assassination blast), Farid Mekari.

Democratic Left
Elias Atallah, Nadim Abdel Samad, Hikamt El Eid

Democratic Forum
Habib Sadeq

Democratic Renewal Movement
MPs Nassib Lahoud (Also a member of Qornet Shehwan), Camille Ziadeh, Mosbah Ahdab.

National Bloc Party
Carlos Edde

Free Patriotic Movement
Gebran Bassil, Nadim Lteif, Ibrahim Kenaan, Hikmat Dib

Lebanese Forces
Current Eddy Abillameh, Jean Aziz, Farid Habib

Kataeb (Phalange) Opposition
Elie Karameh

Kataeb (Phalange) Reform Movement
MPs Antoine Ghanem, Pierre Gemayel (both are member of Qornet Shehwan)

Kesrwan-Jbeil Bloc
MP Fares Boueiz (Also a member of Qornet Shehwan) and MP Nazem Al Khouri