Maronite Patriarch Béchara Raï delivering his Sunday homily in Harissa. (Credit: NNA.)
The results of the municipal elections should have been an "opportunity to democratically reach out to the losers, and not a spectacle of celebrations, dances, and fireworks," said Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai in his Sunday homily in Harissa (Kesrouan).
Rai warned that such displays "exacerbate tensions, create divisions among the inhabitants, and fuel hostility."
The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) reported last week 613 violations during the elections last Saturday in South Lebanon, 740 during the elections in the Bekaa and Beirut, and 838 during the first electoral week in Mount Lebanon. The association also described a "chaotic atmosphere" conducive to corruption during the elections in North Lebanon, for which the Ministry of Interior claimed to have received 675 complaints.
The patriarch also stated that "Lebanon needs men and women who believe in a culture of love: a culture of life, not cancellation; a culture of dialogue, not conflict; a culture of service, not self-interest."
"It is time for politicians to unite their words in public affairs in a society diverse in terms of cultures, religions, and political affiliations. For example, the results of the municipal and local elections should have been an opportunity to democratically reach out to the losers, and not a spectacle of celebrations, dances, and fireworks. These increase tensions, create divisions among the inhabitants, and fuel hostility," he concluded.
