23/03/2022

Ibrahim Mrad: We support the candidates of Lebanese Forces to remove Hezbollah’s “Christian cover”

BEIRUT — Ibrahim Murad, head of the Universal Syriac Union Party (USUP), affirmed the party’s support for all the Lebanese Forces party candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Mrad stated that USUP will support Lebanese Forces because of their role in raising the voice of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people and its potential for removing Hezbollah’s “Christian cover”.

With the approach of the Lebanese parliamentary elections, political parties continue to hold meetings and consultations, submitting the names of their candidates to run in those elections.

Mrad received lawyer Eli Sharbashi, candidate of the Lebanese Forces party for the minority seat in the first Beirut constituency, along with journalist Dani Karsh, the party’s internal affairs secretary Joseph Hajjar, and legal affairs secretary Wadih Nasr at the USUP general headquarters in Sad El Baouchriyeh.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the current political affairs and the affairs of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community and the rest of the communities unjustly placed under the category of minorities. The two parties also reviewed the relationship and political alliance between them. They affirmed the continuity of the strong and distinguished relationship, wrought with the blood of martyrs, and loyalty to the cause of free Christian existence and loyalty to Lebanon.

Regarding Sharbashi’s candidacy, Mrad announced USUP’s full support. “He represents our ambitions and resembles us ideologically, intellectually and politically, and the most important thing that distinguishes him from the rest of the candidates is that he adheres to and is proud of his Syriac identity and creed, and he is active in the Syriac ecclesiastical and secular institutions, and is very active in them,” said Mrad.

He reiterated that the party’s announcement of its support for the Lebanese Forces candidates in all constituencies comes as a consolidation of our common struggle and in defense of the free and active Christian presence, for all the Lebanese and for our homeland Lebanon, and to remove Hezbollah’s “Christian cover”.

Sharbashi thanked the party for its support and adoption of all the candidates of the Lebanese Forces party, stressing that it will carry the message of defending the identity of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people and the eastern sects and of the Lebanese people. Sharbashi added that in the event of his victory, he would work to lift the “minority” designation from six basic sects and secure their legitimate rights.

In the context of the elections, the United Nations Special Coordinator in Lebanon, Joanna Frontka, reiterated the need to hold the elections on time and to implement United Nations resolutions to ensure peace between Lebanon and Israel, stressing the need for women to be more involved and represented in the elections, as voters and candidates.