Maronite bishops called on the Lebanese on Wedinterests. The bishops held their monthly meeting on Wednesday headed by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir nesday to achieve national reconciliation and to refrain from serving foreign at the prelate's summer seat in the mountainous northern village of Diman, near Bshareh.

"Serving foreign interests by Lebanese people is an act of high treason," the statement said.

"True citizenship stands for sacrifice," it added, "Lebanese citizens should unite to preserve the country from dangers that threaten its existence."

The bishops also expressed hope for the speedy adoption of a "fair and just" electoral law and asked that the 2009 parliamentary elections be held in a secure atmosphere.

"Citizens should be allowed to choose their representatives without pressures or temptations," the statement said.

The bishops praised the efforts of the Parliament at electing a new president after a protracted political stalemate along with the formation of a national unity government. These developments, they said, had led to re-establishing the role of the constitutional institutions with the appointment of a new Lebanese army commander and the call for a national dialogue under the sponsorship of President Michel Sleiman.

The statement also urged speedy appointments to vacant governmental and administrative posts, emphasizing that these positions be filled "on the sole basis of qualifications, honesty and experience."

The bishops outlined many reasons for continued concern about the situation in Lebanon, adding that the unstable security environment topped the list.

"The security events that broke out in Tripoli and attacks against the Lebanese Armed Forces are a major source of concern," the statement said.

It added that Lebanese factions living below the poverty line in large cities of the country could be recruited by extremist groups to create instability and terrorize the people. "These groups were pleased by a little money and a lot of weapons to conduct actions hostile to order and law," said the statement.

The bishops' statement also stressed that a sharp divide exists among the political groups especially between the March 14 and March 8 factions.

"Feuding groups are urged to come closer so that the state can prevail," the bishops said, adding that politicians "are asked to shun tense and insulting rhetoric so as to preserve national unity." 

They asked that the Lebanese government respect the judicial system in order to fight corruption and set an example for other Lebanese citizens.

According to the bishops, the nation is "at a crossroads, meaning that the Lebanese state should be aware of its responsibilities and take action to bring back hope to the young generation in order to stop emptying the country of its qualified workforce."

"The hope still survives that Lebanese youth will return home as long as they don't emigrate to far countries like the United States or Canada," the bishops said.

In separate comments, senior Shiite cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah called for a united Arab effort to resolve the economic and political problems in Lebanon and the Middle East.

Fadlallah met on rr could contribute to finding realistic political and economic solutions that would ensure the next elections are held in a spirit of openness and tolerance," Fadlallah said. However, he cautioned that such aid could turn into "negative intervention."

راى مجلس المطارنة الموارنة أن "الوضع على ما نرى فيه من انفراج نرى فيه مدعاة قلق كبير" وأمل في النداء التاسع الذي وجهه بعد إجتماعه الشهري في الديمان برعاية البطريرك الماروني الكاردينال مار نصرالله بطرس صفير أن "يصدر قانون للإنتخاب في أسرع وقت ممكن وأن يكون عادلاً ومنصفاً وأن تجري الإنتخابات في جو عادل وأن يتاح للشعب إختيار من يشاء للنيابة بعيداً عن أي ضغوط أو إغراءات". وفيما يتعلق بالوضع الأمني أشار نداء المطارنة الموارنة الى "ان الأحداث التي اندلعت في طرابلس لا تزال مثار قلق وحتى اليوم لا تزال حالة الأمن مضطربة في اماكن عديدة وبالامس اطلق مسلحون النار على طائرة للجيش اللبناني وقتلوا ضابطا". وفي المدن الكبرى في بيروت خاصة تعيش فئات من الشعب في حالة فقر ومتقعة ؟. ولفت الى ان "اللبنانيون يعانون من الإنقسام الحاد بين الفئات اللبنانية وخاصة بين قوى 8 و 14 آذار وكل منهما يسعى الى فرض هيبته والأولى هو أن تتآلفا لكي تسيطر هيبة الدولة يعد أن تالفت حكومة الوحدة الوطنية". مبدياً أسفه من انحدار مستوى الخطاب السياسي الى ما لا يشرف". وأضاف نداء المطارنة " نحن على مفترق طرق وهذا الوضع الشاذ يثير جماً من الأسئلة إما أن يكون لبنان دولة تعي مسؤولياتها وإما أن تتراخى وتتنازل عن صلاحياتها لغيرها وتعتزل كل مسؤولية وها ما دفع بالعديد مناللبنانيين الى الهجرة . وتمنى على اللبنانيون لو انهم يعرفون قدر وطنهم ويتصرفون على هذه القاعدة ليعود لبنان الى سابق عهده داعياً إياهم الى على اللبنانيين إجراء مصالحة عامة تجمع صفوفهم على محبة بلدهم لبنان". مشيراً الى أن "النزاع على مراكز الصدارة جريمة بحق الوطن الذي يقوى ويشتد بقدر ما يدحضه أبناؤه"ز وأضاف "ان اللوحة التي رسمناها عن الواقع قد لا تحمل الطمأنينة رغم ما تضمنته من ايجابيات لكنها الحقيقة".