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Former British Foreign Minister, Jack Straw, who is heading a four man parliamentary delegation during his visit to Tehran, held a press conference in the Iranian capital. The British delegation arrived in Tehran on Tuesday on a three day visit. British official at this event talked about the history of two countries.

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South Korean National Assembly Speaker, Kang Chang-Hee has traveled to Iran for a three-day visit to the country. During his visit to Iran, he heads a high-ranking parliamentary delegation. This is the 5th South Korean parliamentary delegation visiting Iran since March last year. The South Korean delegation is scheduled to meet Iranian high-ranking officials. The first such meeting was held on Sunday evening and Kang met with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Larijani.

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received in Damascus an Iranian delegation headed by top Iranian lawmaker Alaedin Boroujerdi.The Syrian president underlined the necessity of cooperation among regional countries to deal with the menace of terrorism and extremism. He also noted the importance of coordination among parliaments in a way that unites stances in fighting the Wahhabi ideology. Boroujerdi, on his part, asserted that only the Syrians have the right to determine their future. The Iranian parliamentary delegation also met with Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi. The two sides discussed bilateral economic ties and means to boost it further.Boroujerdi, in a separate meeting with foreign minister Waleed al-Moallem, exchanged views on Geneva 2 peace conference.

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The Palestinian parliamentary elections of January 2006, which brought Hamas to power by an outright majority, also saw thirteen women elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council. Six of those women represented Hamas, and three of them live in Gaza, they attend PLC sessions and take part in various events. It is said that women make up half of society, Here in Gaza female lawmakers say their role is by no means secondary, and that just like men, they've long played an active part in debating and passing legislation.

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In this edition of News Analysis we will examine the possibility of another war on the Gaza strip by Israel and whether this latest threat underlies deeper worries by Israel due to changes in the regional landscape from the Arab Spring in which parliamentary results from different Arab countries show a break from the past with Israel.

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Iranians across the country have formed long lines to cast their ballots in the 9th Majlis (parliamentary) elections since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Interview with Mohsen Saleh, Professor at Lebanese University

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Vali Amr Muslimeen, Imam Sayed Ali Khamenei, casted his vote in the Islamic Republic\'s Ninth Parliamentary Secondary Election. The new parliament will be taking over by June 2012. شركت رهبر انقلاب در مرحله دوم انتخابات مجلس نهم امام خامنه ای خاطرنشان كردند: هرچه آراء نمايندگان مردم در مجلس بيشتر باشد، قوت قلب، توانايی و اعتبار آنها بيشتر است و بهتر می توانند كار كنند. ایشان همچنين از خداوند متعال مسئلت كردند كه دل‌های مردم را به آن‌چه حق است و به‌صلاح و صرفه‌ی مردم است، هدايت كن

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Tarja Cronberg is the chairperson of the European Parliamentary delegation to Iran. She says the progress that was made last weekend during the talks with Iran in Geneva must be built upon to ease sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

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http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=19228 حضرت آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای رهبر معظم انقلاب اسلامی صبح 18 اسفند 1390، در دیدار رئیس و نمایندگان مجلس خبرگان، ضمن سپاس و تجلیل بی‌دریغ از حركت عظیم، به هنگام، هوشمندانه و همراه با بصیرت مردم در انتخابات 12 اسفند، به تبیین تأثیرها و پیام‌های این حضور پرشكوه پرداختند و تأكید كردند: رأی اكثریت قاطع مردم در انتخابات مجلس نهم، در واقع رأی به اصل نظام اسلامی و نشان‌دهنده اعتماد كامل آنان به نظام بود و همچون سیلی هوشیاركننده، افرادی را كه درخصوص اصل نظام و آینده آن و مردم، در توهم و خیال‌پردازی بسر می‌بردند، بیدار، و حقیقت را آشكار كرد. رهبر انقلاب اسلامی با تأكید بر اینكه حقیقتاً مردم عزیز كشور در این انتخابات سنگ تمام گذاشتند، افزودند: مردم در انتخابات 12 اسفند و در عرصه رویارویی با جبهه مخالفان، قدرت ناشی از ایمان و بصیرت خود را به میدان آوردند و با این حركت عظیم، طراحی‌های چندین ماهه معاندان را برای انتخاباتی بی‌رونق، نقش بر آب كردند. حضرت آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای خاطرنشان كردند: حضور گسترده مردم در انتخابات در واقع جاری شدن رحمت الهی در كشور بود كه به همین دلیل باید شكرگزار خداوند متعال بود و پیشانی سپاس را در مقابل این رحمت الهی، بر خاك سائید. ایشان لازمه نزول رحمت الهی را فراهم كردن موجبات رحمت الهی دانستند و افزودند: ملت ایران با حضور در صحنه، بصیرت و ایستادگی خود، موجبات رحمت الهی را فراهم كرد كه برای این توفیق نیز باید شكرگزاری كرد. رهبر انقلاب اسلامی بار دیگر تأكید كردند: با همه وجود از مردم عزیز ایران تشكر می‌كنم. حضرت آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای از همه دست‌اندركاران انتخابات مجلس نهم، بویژه شورای نگهبان كه وظیفه‌ای سنگین و دقیق بر عهده دارد، قدردانی كردند و افزودند: در این انتخابات، دولت، وزارت كشور، مسئولان و دستگاه‌های امنیتی، دستگاه‌های تبلیغاتی و صداوسیما واقعاً كار بزرگ و برجسته‌ای انجام دادند و توانستند این موضوع بسیار حیاتی را به بهترین وجه به سرانجام برسانند. در ابتدای این دیدار آیت‌الله مهدوی كنی رئیس مجلس خبرگان در سخنانی ضمن قدردانی از حضور با شكوه مردم در انتخابات 12 اسفند، راهنمایی‌های رهبر انقلاب اسلامی را در شكل‌گیری این حضور حماسی بسیار مؤثر دانست و گفت: یكی از اركان انقلاب و نظام، حضور مردم در صحنه است كه امام (ره) بارها بر آن تأكید می‌كردند. آیت‌الله مهدوی كنی با تأكید بر اینكه حفظ و استمرار نظام اسلامی منوط به حفظ ستون آن یعنی ولایت و رهبری است، افزود: نمایندگان مجلس خبرگان بر عهدی كه با رهبری بسته‌اند، باقی هستند و حراست از جایگاه رهبری و ولایت فقیه را وظیفه خود می دانند. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1598 Supreme Leader: High Turnout in Parliamentary Elections Showed That People Trust Islamic Republic 08/03/2012 Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution met this morning with the chairman and members of the Assembly of Experts. Speaking at the meeting, His Eminence praised the people of Iran for their large turnout in the parliamentary elections and added that every vote in the parliamentary elections was a vote for the Islamic Republic. \"Although the elections which were held on Friday were parliamentary elections, every vote by the people was in fact a vote for the Islamic system. The presence of the vast majority of the people at the polling stations and the large turnout - which was one of the highest rates over the past 33 years - showed that the people fully trust the Islamic system.\" Ayatollah Khamenei added: \"In the elections that were held on the 12th of Esfand and in the arena of confronting the camp of the enemies, the people brought in their power which originates from their religious faith and insight. And with this massive movement, they foiled the plots that the enemies had been designing for months in order to minimize voter turnout.\" He added: \"With their presence on the scene and with their insight and steadfastness, the people of Iran prepared the ground for divine blessings and it is necessary to thank God for this.\" Referring to the paradigm of religious democracy and the position of elections in this paradigm, His Eminence reiterated: \"Elections are an important pillar of the system, and religious democracy is founded on elections. Therefore, anybody who believes in the Islamic system considers participating in the elections as his duty even if he has objections to certain issues.\" The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution added: \"In fact, all those who participated in the elections fulfilled an obligatory duty and they also showed their accurate understanding. This is because in a religious democracy, a person cannot refuse to take part in the elections under the pretext that he has certain criticisms.\" Elsewhere in his statements, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the outcomes of the recent parliamentary elections and stressed: \"This election acted like a slap and awakened certain people who were cherishing illusions about the Islamic Republic and the people. It opened their eyes to the truth.\" His Eminence referred to the recent statements by the US President and stated: \"The US President has said that they are not thinking about going to war with Iran. This statement is a good and wise statement. It shows that the illusion has been dispelled. But he has also said that they will bring the people of Iran to their knees by imposing sanctions, which shows that the illusion has not been fully dispelled in this regard.\" The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated: \"The persistence of this illusion will harm US government officials and it will ruin their calculations because the camp of our enemies, particularly America, has been trying since 33 years ago to separate the people from the Islamic system by imposing sanctions on the Iranian nation and particularly by intensifying the sanctions over the past year. But everybody saw the commitment of the people to the Islamic system on the 12th of Esfand.\" Ayatollah Khamenei said that the election also proved that the people trust the Islamic Republic, further adding: \"After the controversial elections of the year 1388, certain people concluded that the people would lose their trust in the Islamic Republic, but the recent election was a decisive and clear response to this wrong conclusion.\" Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that in an Islamic democracy everything is based on the votes of the people. \"Islam is the main component and the spirit of religious democracy and there must be no deviation from Islam.\" He added: \"The experience we have gained over the past 33 years has shown that Islam can bring about dignity and honor for a nation. It can specify good goals and it can also prepare the way for achieving these goals. It can give rise to a scientific movement. It can give rise to a technological and industrial movement. It can give rise to a religious and ethical movement. It can make a nation feel proud in front of other nations.\" Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the nature of religious democracy and added that in a religious democracy, democracy originates from Islam. \"It is wrong to think that democracy has been adopted from the west. This is because although the form of democracy is the same in the Islamic Republic and in western systems, the origin is different.\" His Eminence stressed that a religious democracy respects the votes of the people and added: \"In a religious democracy, the frameworks are completely different from the frameworks of western democracy because the frameworks of western democracy are oppressive.\" Ayatollah Khamenei said that one example of this oppression is that it is illegal to deny the Holocaust in the west while nobody is allowed to protest about the deliberate insults against the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.w.a.). He added that another example is that women are not allowed to wear hijab to work.

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http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=19054 دیدار مردم آذربایجان با رهبر انقلاب حضرت آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای رهبر معظم انقلاب اسلامی صبح امروز (چهارشنبه) در دیدار هزاران نفر از علماء، مسئولان و قشرهای مختلف مردم آذربایجان، با اشاره به حضور ده‌ها میلیونی و بسیار پرشورتر و با نشاط‌تر مردم در راهپیمایی 22 بهمن امسال، چرائی این اعجاب‌آفرینی و عظمت ملت عزیز ایران را، بصیرت و موقع‌شناسی بی‌نظیر آنان دانستند و تأكید كردند: ملت ایران با این بصیرت، ایستادگی و حضور به‌هنگام در صحنه، هیچگاه شكست نخواهد خورد و در انتخابات 12 اسفند نیز ملت بار دیگر هوشیاری و موقع‌شناسی خود را نشان خواهد داد و با حضور پرشور و فراوان خود در انتخابات مجلس نهم، ضربه سخت دیگری به دشمن خواهد زد. در این دیدار كه در آستانه 29 بهمن، سالروز قیام مردم تبریز بر ضد رژیم ستم‌شاهی در سال 1356، برگزار شد، رهبر انقلاب اسلامی حوادث مهم انقلاب اسلامی را درس‌آموز و شاخص‌های عمده در مسیر حركت بسوی قله‌ها و اهداف برشمردند و با اشاره به راهپیمایی عظیم ملت ایران در 22 بهمن افزودند: امسال همه تأكید داشتند كه حضور مردم در راهپیمایی 22 بهمن در سراسر كشور، نسبت به سال‌های قبل، پرشورتر و با نشاط‌تر بوده است اما سؤال مهم این است كه چرا امسال شاهد چنین حضور با عظمت‌تری بودیم؟ حضرت آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای خاطرنشان كردند: پاسخ به این سؤال جز به بصیرت و موقع‌شناسی كم‌نظیر مردم بر نمی‌گردد زیرا ملت ایران امسال احساس كرد كه كشور و نظام و اسلام به این حضور نیازمند است. ایشان با اشاره به تبلیغات پرحجم و گسترده رسانه‌ها و دستگاه‌های تبلیغاتی جبهه دشمن عنود و شریر، تحت هدایت شبكه صهیونیستی جهانی، تأكید كردند: هدف اصلی تبلیغات متراكم، القای این دروغ بزرگ بود كه ملت شجاع، مؤمن و امتحان داده ایران، نسبت به انقلاب، اسلام و اهداف والای خود سست و بی‌انگیزه شده است. رهبر انقلاب اسلامی افزودند: تمركز این تبلیغات هم بر روی راهپیمایی 22 بهمن بود تا شاید حضور مردم كمرنگ و بی‌رونق شود اما ملت ایران با بصیرت و موقع‌شناسی اعجاب‌برانگیز ، متوجه این ترفند دشمن شد و با حضور عظیم خود در راهپیمایی 22 بهمن امسال، به دهان دشمن كوبید. حضرت آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای با اشاره به گزارش‌های موثق درخصوص حضور بسیار پرشور و گسترده مردم در راهپیمایی 22 بهمن در هشتصد و پنجاه شهر كشور خاطرنشان كردند: این ملت ایران است. این ملت با چنین بصیرت و موقع‌شناسی و حضور در صحنه، شكست نخواهد خورد. ایشان تأكید كردند: آنهایی كه باید پیام این حضور با عظمت مردم ایران در راهپیمایی 22 بهمن را بگیرند، گرفتند و آنهایی كه در مغزهای الكلی و آفت‌دیده خود، خیالاتی در سر می‌پروراندند، متوجه شدند كه در ایران چه خبر است و ملت قهرمان ایران چگونه در صحنه حاضر است. رهبر انقلاب اسلامی با اشاره به تلاش دستگاه‌های تبلیغاتی جبهه استكبار برای منعكس نشدن حقیقت و عظمت حضور مردم افزودند: كسانی كه مدعی آزادی اطلاعات و اخبار هستند، اخبار مربوط به این راهپیمایی را سانسور كردند و راهپیمایان میلیونی تهران را هزاران نفر و جمعیت ده‌ها میلیونی كشور در راهپیمایی را صدها هزار نفر عنوان كردند. حضرت آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای تأكید كردند: دشمن همواره از ابتدای پیروزی انقلاب اسلامی، انواع شیوه‌های دروغ‌پردازی، تقلب، خدعه و تزویر را بكار گرفته است اما هنگامی كه پیام صادقانه یك ملت از دل برآید، كار خود را خواهد كرد و احساس حضور و انقلابی‌گری و حركت همراه با عزم راسخ، همچون هوای خوش بهاری در همه جا نفوذ و همه را بهره‌مند خواهد كرد. ایشان افزودند: نمونه آشكار این واقعیت، تحولات اخیر در شمال آفریقا، و كشورهای عربی و دنیای اسلام و فراگیر شدن شعارهایی است كه روزی ملت ایران، مظلومانه آنها را سر می‌داد. رهبر انقلاب اسلامی تأكید كردند: اسلام در حركت عظیم خود به نقطه حساسی رسیده است و نسل‌های آینده شاهد حوادث مهمی خواهند بود كه دنیا را دگرگون خواهد كرد و سیاست‌های مسلط مادی مستكبرانه را نیز از بین خواهد برد. حضرت آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای خاطرنشان كردند: كانون اصلی این حركت، جمهوری اسلامی ایران است و جوشش اولیه آن هم از ایران بوده و ملت ایران همچنان ایستاده است. ایشان، ایستادگی ملت ایران را رمز موفقیت و دستاوردهای بزرگ نظام اسلامی دانستند و افزودند: هنگامی كه ملتی می‌ایستد و در مقابل شبكه پرهیمنه و پرهیاهو دشمن به خود ترس و واهمه راه نمی‌دهد، در عرصه‌های علم و فناوری، اقتصاد، مسائل اجتماعی، سیاست‌ورزی بین‌المللی و تأثیرگذاری بر ملت‌ها، پیشرفت خواهد كرد و تفكر، دین و شعارش فراگیر خواهد شد. رهبر انقلاب اسلامی تأكید كردند: به لطف خداوند و به بركت این ایستادگی و استحكام درونی ملت ایران، جوانان ، با همت‌ها و استقامت خود كشور را همانند دسته گل خواهند ساخت و آن را تبدیل به یك الگوی موفق و پیشرفته برای جهان اسلام خواهند كرد. حضرت آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای لازمه پیشرفت و سازندگی كشور را، استمرار حركت در مسیر صراط مستقیم الهی و راه اسلام، دیانت و شریعت و حفظ هوشیاری و بصیرت و عمل به وظیفه دانستند و با اشاره به انتخابات پیش روی مجلس نهم افزودند: دستگاه‌های تبلیغاتی و رسانه‌های جبهه استكبار و عوامل همیشگی آنها، تلاش گسترده‌ای را آغاز كرده‌اند تا انتخابات مجلس، انتخابات بی‌رونقی باشد اما همه باید بدانند كه حضور مردم در انتخابات، كشور را به پیش خواهد برد و دشمن را در اجرای توطئه‌هایش دچار تردید و تزلزل و وادار به عقب نشینی خواهد كرد. ایشان تأكید كردند: انتخابات پرشور ضربه سختی به دشمن خواهد بود. رهبر انقلاب اسلامی با تأكید بر اینكه دل‌های مردم در دست خدا است، افزودند: با عنایت و كمك خداوند متعال، انتخابات مجلس نهم پرشور و با احساس و همراه با بصیرت و حضور فراوان مردم، برگزار خواهد شد. رهبر انقلاب اسلامی اظهار امیدواری كردند نتیجه انتخابات دوازدهم اسفند، انتخاب مجلس و نمایندگانی خوب برای ورود به عرصه كار و خدمت باشد. حضرت آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای در بخش دیگری از سخنان خود با اشاره به نقش و جایگاه آذربایجان و بویژه تبریز در حوادث و تحولات یكصد سال گذشته كشور، افزودند: مهمترین ویژگی قهرمانان و نام‌آوران تبریز همچون ستارخان و باقرخان، تدین و حركت در مسیر دین و پیروی از علمای دین بوده است. ایشان همچنین با اشاره به نقش‌آفرینی علما و مردم آذربایجان و تبریز در نهضت اسلامی و حوادث مربوط به پیروزی انقلاب اسلامی و بعد از آن، خاطرنشان كردند: تقدیم دو شهید محراب از میان پنج شهید محراب، و شجاعت و خط‌شكنی لشكر دلاور و قهرمان عاشورا در دوران دفاع مقدس نمونه‌هایی از كارنامه درخشان و برجسته مردم آذربایجان است. در ابتدای این دیدار آیت‌الله مجتهد شبستری نماینده ولی فقیه و امام‌جمعه تبریز در سخنانی ضمن گرامیداشت قیام 29 بهمن در سال 1356، به پیشگامی مردم آذربایجان در عرصه‌های مختلف انقلاب اسلامی اشاره كرد و گفت: مردم غیور و بابصیرت آذربایجان، در انتخابات 12 اسفند نیز حماسه‌ای فراموش‌نشدنی خلق خواهند كرد. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1587 Supreme Leader: Massive Voter Turnout Harms Enemies 15/02/2012 Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution met today with thousands of religious scholars, government officials and ordinary citizens from East Azerbaijan. At the meeting, His Eminence referred to the upcoming parliamentary elections and said that the enemies are making widespread efforts to discourage the people from taking part in the elections. He added that massive presence of the people in the elections will harm the enemy and force him to back down. Ayatollah Khamenei said that the enthusiastic and massive presence of the people in the demonstrations marking the victory of the Islamic Revolution is indicative of the extraordinary insight of the Iranian people. \"With this insight, the Iranian nation will never be defeated. In the elections that will be held on March 2, the people of Iran will once again prove their vigilance and their awareness of the requirements of time. And they will deal another serious blow to the enemy with their enthusiastic and massive presence in the 9th parliamentary elections.\" Ayatollah Khamenei added: \"This year everybody was stressing that the people had a more enthusiastic presence in the nationwide demonstrations marking the 22nd of Bahman, but the important question is: why were the demonstrations so massive this year?\" Ayatollah Khamenei said: \"The answer to this question is related to nothing but the extraordinary insight of the people and their awareness of the requirements of time because the people of Iran felt that our country, our government and Islam need their presence in the demonstrations.\" His Eminence referred to the widespread propaganda by the enemies, led by the network of global Zionism, and stressed that the main goal of this propaganda is to promote the lie that the courageous and pious people of Iran are disappointed at the Revolution and Islam. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution added: \"These propaganda efforts were focused on the demonstrations of the 22nd of Bahman in the hope that they would discourage the people from participating in the demonstrations, but the Iranian nation discovered this plot thanks to its insight and its awareness of the requirements of time. With their massive presence in the demonstrations marking the 22nd of Bahman, the people of Iran kicked the enemy in the mouth.\" His Eminence stressed: \"The message of this massive presence of the Iranian people in the demonstrations was delivered to those who should have received the message.\" He added that those who were cherishing illusions regarding Iran realized the nature of the events that are happening in Iran. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the propaganda machines of the arrogant powers tried to impose a news blackout on the great and massive presence of the people in the demonstrations. He added: \"Those who claim to support free flow of information censored the reports related to these demonstrations.\" Ayatollah Khamenei stressed: \"Since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, the enemy has utilized different methods to deceive and to promote lies, but when the people of a nation express a message from the bottom of their heart, that message proves effective.\" His Eminence said that the slogans which used to be shouted by the Iranian nation are spreading to other parts of the world of Islam, further adding: \"Islam has reached a sensitive point in its great movement and future generations will witness important events which will transform the world of Islam and annihilate the dominant and materialistic policies of the arrogant powers.\" Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the wave of Islamic Awakening in the world and added: \"The Islamic Republic of Iran was the original source of this movement.\" His Eminence said that the resistance of the Iranian nation is the secret behind the success and achievements of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He added: \"When a nation stands up against the enemy\'s fearsome network without feeling afraid, it makes progress in science, it makes progress in economic areas, it makes progress in social matters, its youth become vigilant, it gains influence over other nations, and its ideas, religion and slogans spread to all parts of the world.\"

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Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood says its candidate Mohamed Morsi will face former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq in the country’s presidential run-off election. Morsi is in the lead with 25.3 percent of the vote, followed by Shafiq with 24.9 percent. Official results from the electoral body are expected to be announced on Tuesday. The two candidates will compete in a run-off election on June 16 and 17. Electoral commission officials said that turnout was around 43 percent over the two days of voting on Wednesday and Thursday. Press TV has conducted an interview with Yahia Ghanem, editor at the al-Ahram newspaper, to hear his opinion on this issue. The following is a rough transcription of the interview. Press TV: Trying to understand these results specially Shafiq he did not do that well in his campaigning. How did he come up to this second place, finish at this point which is not really finished, it is unofficial results, what is your reaction to that? Ghanem: Well if you talk, if you ask about the reactions I believe that partly it was a shock for a lot of number of the Egyptians whereas it was a pleasant surprise of course for some others. So I believe that as much as Egypt and the Egyptians have been showing strong signs of being united, a united house in their march towards democracy, when it comes to the results of the first round of the elections they started showing strong signs of a house divided in terms of this splinter between Shafiq which is considered to be a remnant of the former regime and Dr. [Morsi], the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood. Press TV: In terms of who came out to vote we are looking at two large majorities, 60 percent saying to be from the urban areas which are farmers and then of course we are looking at the percentage of the youth in the country which is said to be 50 percent below the age of 30. But it does not seem like these results are indicating that which some are saying the silent majority came out. Do you see it that way? Ghanem: Say it again please. Press TV: The silent majority, do you think they were the ones that came out, tilting some of the voting in terms of the results we are seeing right now? Ghanem: I am not quite sure if I understood your question... Press TV: The silent majority of Egyptians is what I am getting at, did they come out, the ones who did not come out to vote for the parliamentary elections maybe came out this time to vote? Ghanem: Well, I believe that there was a large percentage of absence from the voters because everybody expected actually a higher percentage, everybody expected that the Egyptians would break the record that they scored during the first stage of the last parliamentary elections but unfortunately it did not happen. And I believe that there are reasons behind such absence and such reluctance of that large number of voters to practice and to exercise the right in voting the first civilian elected president but I believe that a large number of the youth who actually participated and spot the revolution, also they were reluctant to participate in these elections and I observed that while I was touring the polling stations, I believe that there were reasons actually behind such reluctance, such as the way the military council ran the whole show during the last 16 months and specially running that presidential election show. Press TV: And of course one of the biggest troubles and challenges Yahia Ghanem is the constitution and the presidential powers. When is that going to be resolved? Ghanem: I believe we still have to go for quite a while after the elections to sort out this issue of the right in constitution and specially that issue of writing the constitution. But personally speaking I believe that this issue have been made an issue by certain parties with interest to complicate things in Egypt because writing constitution is not that problem actually and they complicated the whole thing by inciting all different kinds of society, all the [structure] in society to claim the right of being represented in this committee and to share or to take part in writing the constitution. No constitutions in the world are being written that way. It is up to the specialists, the lawmakers or the professors of constitutional law to write the constitution as in many or in all the countries in the world and then for the establishing committee to discuss and to review that draft constitution but of course it does not make any sense for all representatives of all the sectors of the society and the [structure] of the society to take part in writing the constitution. It is funny and it is not true of course.

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Lebanese President Michel Suleiman is urging rival political factions to ensure the needed quorum in parliament for the election of Lebanon\\\'s next president.Suleiman\\\'s six-year-term expires in May 2014 and is preceded by a two-month constitutional period. Lebanon\\\'s first man has also kicked off talks with Lebanese rival factions in a bid to help Prime-Minister Designate \\\"Tammam Salam\\\" form a cabinet line-up prior to the two-month constitutional period. The cabinet line-up formation however has been in limbo for the past 9 months namely due to the Saudi-backed March 14 Bloc\\\'s boycott of parliamentary sessions citing Hezbollah\\\'s intervention in Syria as a pretext. The Saudi-backed March 14th Bloc is now calling for a neutral line-up while the Hezbollah-led March 8th is calling for an all-embracing cabinet while rejecting a De-Facto one. The proposal of a neutral cabinet has also been slammed by Lebanese Druze Leader Walid Jumblat who warned it would be a \\\"leap into the unknown\\\". Meanwhile, the Free Patriotic Movement has accused the March 14th Bloc of paving the way for a presidential vacuum through the continued boycott of parliamentary sessions dubbing the movement\\\'s obstruction of government institutions as part of instructions taken from their regional allies pre-Geneva II talks. The Free Patriotic Movement MP also highlighted what he described as an alarming pledge by Riyadh\\\'s ambassador to London who vowed continued military and financial support for the foreign-backed groups fighting in Syria even if Saudi Arabia goes it alone. The MP warned the March 14th Bloc of following their Saudi ally\\\'s footsteps as well. Though Lebanon\\\'s President has vowed a smooth transition of power rebuffing any attempt to extend his mandate, fears of a vacuum at the presidential post are simmering in Beirut for their grave consequences on Lebanon. Lebanese leaders are warning that the presidential vacuum added to the cabinet limbo would tow the country into security, political and constitutional chaos.

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Latest News: 15th May 2008 Saudi-Israeli plot against Hezbollah Thu, 15 May 2008 16:36:28 Prince Bandar bin Sultan (L), Ehud Olmert Former Saudi Ambassador to the US Prince Bandar bin Sultan asks Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert to move against Hezbollah. Saudi's Prince Bandar bin Sultan has formally requested Olmert to move the Zionist regime's military forces in the north of the Occupied Lands on the border with Lebanon as a threat against Hezbollah if the latter did not stop attacking government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Filkka - Israel website revealed Wednesday. Bandar bin Sultan arrived in the Occupied Territories in his private plane directly from Jeddah airport to Lod Airport in Tel Aviv. Bin Sultan asked Olmert to do what is necessary to support PM Siniora, offering to bear all the financial costs of any Israeli war against Hezbollah. Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert who is under investigation in a bribe case, said that he could not do so now, assuring his guest that he could not wage a war on behalf of Saudi Arabia, but he will discuss the issue with the Israeli officials in order to carry out military maneuvers in the south of Lebanon. Old News UK bribery disgrace in trade with Saudi Arabia: Former Saudi Ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar bin Sultan received hundreds of millions of pounds in secret payments from Britain's top defence manufacturer with the knowledge of Prime Minister Tony Blair's government, according to the BBC. The payments made by BAE Systems were actually a conduit to Bandar for his role in the multi-billion al-Yamamah arms agreement, Britain's biggest ever export deal signed in 1985, the state-funded broadcaster said it had learned Thursday. The alleged bribes were said to have been discovered during a year-long inquiry conducted by Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO), but which was abruptly halted last December after Blair said the investigation was a threat to national security. The dropping of the investigation also came amid concerns that it might jeopardize a new multi-billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia to supply Eurofighters. The BBC said that the payments, believed to total more than Pnds one billion (Dlrs 1.9 bn), were sent to two Saudi embassy accounts in Washington, were written into the government-to-government arms deal contract in secret annexes. Allegations previously made in the British press have also suggested that Mark Thatcher, son of the British prime minister at the time, was also involved in the deal. The al-Yamamah deal included the supply of more than 100 Tornado aircraft and is estimated to have been worth over Pnds 40 billion (Dlrs 78 bn) over more than a decade. The new claims, to be made in the BBC's current affairs Panorama programme next Monday prompted the head of parliament's committee which investigates strategic exports, Labour MP Roger Berry, to call for a proper investigation into the allegations. Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said that if ministers in either the present or previous governments were involved there should be a "major parliamentary inquiry". "It is one thing for a company to have engaged in alleged corruption overseas. It is another thing if British government ministers have approved it," Cable said

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More than 60 people have been killed in a wave of bombings in Iraq. The blasts come just days after Iraq touted a series of blows against al-Qaeda and during a period of uncertainty as landmark parliamentary elections remain unresolved.