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Churches and Christian political factions in Lebanon launched on Thursday a joint initiative to define appropriate political conduct, saying that political life had "deviated" from its rightful path. The participants in Thursday's conference, which was called for by the Maronite church and attended by representatives of all churches and factions, as well as Muslim sects, issued a charter at the end of their meeting.
Former Minister Roger Deeb told the conference that the document lists three commitments: to regulate ties between the government and the Palestinian Authority in Lebanon, to ensure that all weapons are within state control, and to establish normal relations with Syria.
Explaining the idea behind the charter, Maronite Bishop Beshara al-Rai said: "The Lebanese political life has deviated from its role" of serving the public. Therefore, there is a need to educate and guide [the political] conscience back to the right track."
The charter described politics as "an honest form of art based on a set of principles and aimed to serve [the people]."
It advised voters to "choose freely" the candidates who have a high sense of ethics and are most qualified to engage in political life. It cautioned voters against "extremism" while selecting candidates in the June 7 parliamentary elections.
Addressing the candidates, it said hopefuls must "be loyal to Lebanon, aware of the country's unique attributes and committed to preserving free decision-making." They must also support democracy and human rights and present "transparent" electoral programs.
The charter also called for the state and the church to be "independent from one another."
It added that both Christians and Muslims have a shared responsibility to preserve Lebanon's unique character.
Originally published by The Daily Star, with Naharnet:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=99877#
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