Lebanon has entered a new period of unrest in recent months, with people protesting in the streets over the taxation of the well-known WhatsApp communication application. But it was the drop that overflowed the ocean of Lebanese citizens' frustration with a country that in recent decades has suffered not only from war, ethnic sectarian strife and the outbreak of the Syrian war, but also from ongoing corruption, political corruption and ill-treatment. instability – due to the mosaic of religious and ethnic origin of the inhabitants of the country. “P” had the opportunity to meet in Cyprus with Amin Cemagiel on the occasion of his presence at the conference on Syria organized by the “Cyprus Mail” newspaper for the 75th anniversary of its operation. Mr. Jemayel, at the age of 77, happily served as President of Lebanon from 1982 to 1988 – an extremely turbulent period in the country's modern history, with Lebanon under double military occupation by Israel due to the war and Syria due to the involvement of the Assad regime (of father Hafez).
About good administration
Asked how he assessed the current developments in the region and especially the public demonstrations in Lebanon (but also in Iraq), Mr. Jemayel spoke on the issue of good governance and corruption. “Lebanon remains a state whose political elites and nomenclature remain immersed in corruption and self-interest,” the former president said. To stand on the fact that “unless there is a strengthening of institutions, the effective functioning of the state and the fight against corruption, Lebanon will not stand on its own two feet.” Mr Jemayel praised the Lebanese people's response and said that the country's economy had been steadily deteriorating internationally in recent years in terms of public debt and how it was affecting the way of life of its suffering citizens. the weight of suffocating economic pressure. Finally, Mr. Jemayel compared the current period of political developments with the era of his own political activism – almost thirty years ago – emphasizing that “even in difficult times for the country with war and occupation, the Lebanese people were not down from the current conditions of political and economic instability “.
Developments in the region
Mr. Gemayel took power in Lebanon at a dramatic time, shortly after the assassination of his brother Bashir, who had won the 1982. Election. Jemayel referred to how Lebanon, with internal structural problems, has always been affected by wars and conflicts in the region: Syria, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the refugee flows in the country (Lebanon currently hosts almost 1.5 million people). Syrian refugees). “Lebanon has always been exposed to conflicts in the region. “Which simply affected his already significant problems, rekindling internal political and religious conflicts.”
The Cyprus issue
Asked how the situation in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean is affecting developments in Cyprus and the Cyprus issue, Mr. Cemayel answered by laying the groundwork for the Cyprus issue in the dimension of the Turkish invasion and the occupation that has continued since 1974. “The bases of the Cyprus and Lebanon problems are different,” the former president noted. However, he considers that “in Cyprus things are clear. Cyprus is under Turkish occupation, a situation reminiscent of the period of my rule with the dual occupation of Lebanon by Israel and Syria. “It is difficult for a country to get rid of a foreign military force,” he said. However, he did not fail to point out that the dynamics of the region directly affect all stakeholders, however, “Cyprus remains a stable state in the region. It is a member of the European Union. “
Cyprus and Lebanon
Mr. Gemayel vividly remembers the 1960s, the birth of the Republic of Cyprus and his visits to Cyprus. “I had the honor to meet almost the entire Greek Cypriot leadership and I have wonderful memories from my acquaintance with the first President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios,” he told us. Mr. Cemael stressed that the bilateral relations between Cyprus and Lebanon “remain excellent” and that “Cyprus and Lebanon have never gone through ups and downs in their diplomatic relations, maintaining excellent political, economic and religious ties.” Mr. Jemayel, who hails from Lebanon's Maronite Christian community, has maintained a deep historical and religious connection between Lebanon and the Cypriot Maronite community – with relationships that span centuries. He did not fail to dwell on how the two countries supported each other in difficult times for them: “The Cypriots who took refuge in Lebanon in 1974 received a very warm welcome and hospitality, something that happened to the Lebanese who took refuge. in Cyprus in the 1980s because of the war. “The two peoples, of Cyprus and Lebanon, have behaved extremely well towards each other and this is the basis of our relations from the past, the present and the future”, stressed Mr. Cemail. He even added that in the context of the tripartite meetings with the states of the region, Cyprus and Lebanon are deepening their relations in economic and energy level.
