Aoun Calls for Local Agreement on New President, Suggests New Consultations by Salam
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun has advocated the election of a president away from foreign intervention and advised Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam to launch a new round of consultations with parliamentary blocs.
“There should always be a first time. Currently there are a lot of crises and no one's thinking about us. So we should elect the president internally,” Aoun told al-Akhbar daily in an interview published on Thursday.
President Michel Suleiman “was appointed in Doha and the initiative was made by the Arab League and its secretary-general,” he said, adding “it was not the Lebanese balance that made the president.”
Asked how the rival parties would be able to agree on the next head of state if they have so far failed to form a new government, Aoun said: “Our laws are wrong.”
“Is it possible for a premier-designate to work for six months without any deadline?” he wondered.
Aoun called for an amendment to certain constitutional deadlines such as setting 45 days for the formation of the government.
The FPM chief, who leads the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc, suggested for Salam to hold a new round of consultations and visit him in Rabieh. “We have coffee and lemonade,” he joked.
“If he wants to propose something new, then he should launch a new round or invite us for new consultations at the parliament,” Aoun said.
The MP blamed conditions and counter-conditions set by the rival parties on Salam's failure to form a cabinet since his appointment in April.
“They don't want to respect our force and presence and the PM-designate says he wants to form the government the way he wants it to be,” Aoun said about his rivals in the March 14 alliance and Salam.
The March 8 coalition, which Aoun's FPM is part of, has been asking for veto power, saying its members should be represented in the government in accordance to their parliamentary weight.
Turning back to the presidential elections next year, Aoun stressed that a new head of state should be chosen even if the bickering sides failed to agree on the new cabinet.
“The election cannot be paralyzed,” he said over fears that the differences between the two alliances would lead to a vacuum in the presidential post.
Suleiman's six-year term ends in May 2014. He has stressed that he rejects any extension of his mandate.
Asked about who is seeking to get a seat in the top post, Aoun said: “We still don't know who the candidates are. My name is being mentioned but I can't say that I am a candidate.”
On the parliamentary crisis, Aoun said his bloc has launched consultations to resolve the crisis on a legislative session that has been postponed several times over lack of quorum.
“There is a new stage and there should be a new agenda,” he told al-Akhbar about the speaker's continuous call for sessions to discuss 45 items.
“Dialogue with Speaker Nabih Berri has resumed and we will hold talks with everyone about this issue so that there would be no unilateral decision,” Aoun said.
“If these discussions succeed, then we can go back to discuss the cabinet issue,” he said.
24 October 2013, 11:24
1519
hahahahaha feels weird when for once it's not mustahbal/farateen laying blame on hezbollah?
24 October 2013, 12:26
1416
please stop following me around like a rabid dog and seek professional help ice-boy. i can't help you.
24 October 2013, 08:30
2014
Same old double talk from the pajama x-general. Aoun starts off whining about Salam not being able to form a government, but M8 will not accept a technical government or any government that Hezbullah can not control. And lets not forget the MUST HAVE "People, Army, Resistance" statement. Then the Lunatic winds in down with... "My name is being mentioned but I can't say that I am a candidate.”... I am sure you hear your name mentioned as President all day long inside your empty head.
24 October 2013, 08:38
2015
No, mr _-...-_-Flamethrower-_-...-_ said that the running general is not going to run for the Presidency, in Lebanon or Syria... and you know mr _-...-_-Flamethrower-_-...-_ is Never Wrong :-)
24 October 2013, 09:06
2012
this psycho-lunatic still want the presidency and hes never gona get it and this is killing him how emile lahoud and Michel sleiman did it without effort and he burned Lebanon and couldn't do it! thing is, even hizbo and amalo don't want him in the first place..
24 October 2013, 09:21
2010
No for the love of God, Aoun cannot be placed in that position again. Last time he held that position he destroyed the backbone of the Christians and pulverised our Lebanese army. All that is left of our army now are generals confined to a vocabulary of three expressions, "Yes Hassan", "No Hassan", " Right away Hassan".
24 October 2013, 10:04
1814
The only security agency left with some dignity and independence is the ISF intelligence Bureau. That is the reason the sectarian Farsi Hizb and the spiteful Aoun are having epileptic fits in order to control it.
24 October 2013, 11:26
1519
liberty is a true patriot, unlike hebollah who mixes their party flag with the national one, he only uses his country's flag.
24 October 2013, 10:11
1419
God bless General Aoun for his staunch patriotism, defense of Lebanon's democracy, and opposition to February 14-sponsored Wahabism.
24 October 2013, 11:48
205
Aoun and Geagea will never be presidents.
if either has such a dream then they are stupid.
24 October 2013, 11:59
1019
God bless u GMA !! we all know that who governs leb now is Berri n Mikati suni/shia formula n the president is an image, gma will never accept that... everybody knows that he will break the rules thats why they will fight not to elect him (both shia/suni) no for a strong president christian representative....
Vivie le General notre espoir pour un liban fort!!!
24 October 2013, 14:11
610
Have the people elect the president and give this Man some legitmacy.
24 October 2013, 15:18
1114
you meant "You elect a president in Parliament but this concept is too confusing for dictator wahhabees"
24 October 2013, 16:18
125
Let us be clear. There was an expiration of the Parliament's 2009 four year mandate in June because Hezbollah did not want elections to be conducted while it was at war in neighboring Syria.
There is a Caretaker Government because Hezbollah wants veto power in the Council of Ministers and Tamaam does not want to put a cabinet before the Parliament that does not give Hezbollah what it wants in order to avoid a threatened repeat of May 7, 2008.
Hezbollah has this clout in the Lebanese System because Aoun and the FPM has given it cross confessional cover so as to serve Aoun's ambitions to one day become president before the last strand of hair can no longer traverse his bald head.
24 October 2013, 16:25
611
if you so love your country why don't you help this guy out to begin extracting oil?!? did you know that our ally is blocking this issue n many more issues..what happened with the daman sheikhoukha plan that gma proposed n our ally hid it in drawer +++...endless
24 October 2013, 16:56
83
The vacuum that is about to occur in the Lebanese Presidency next year is the product of the paralysis that already exists in the Lebanese Parliament and Council of Ministers which has been induced by Hezbollah as it seeks to completely supplant the constitutional government of the Republic with the Wilayat al Faqih of Iran.
Aoun has been played badly. The old man has been promised something that the promisor will NEVER deliver, and yet he continues to give Hezbollah the political cover it needs to complete its project in Lebanon, while the rest of the Lebanese party, and eat their kibbie oblivious to the relentless singleminded slow moving take over of their country by the Persians
24 October 2013, 17:49
82
@the_roar, how appropriate that you have selected the name "roar" and use the image of a lion for your posts. When you honor the law of the jungle over the rule of law, your domain is a jungle and not a Republic.
Aoun is your problem, how the rest of us would wish that you do something about it.
24 October 2013, 18:33
43
No Roar, hate has nothing to do with it. Just an observation with regard to preferences. GB was the originator of the law of the jungle with its monarchy and now I see your preference of herbal tea as universal remedy for those with whom you have political differences.
Well, I'm in the States and though we do have a Tea Party here, I find that herbal tea tends to make people's politics become apocalyptical. I prefer coffee and a calm discussion.
24 October 2013, 21:54
22
If foreign intervention is not allowed, that means HA can not be involved either. If Aoun agress to that then I support his statement.
25 October 2013, 04:29
11
Unfortunately for you, the majority of Christians support M14, not M8, and not Aoun
M8 has only 29 out of 64 Christians in Parliament.
27 October 2013, 17:25
00
You're all idiots for taking sides with either M8 or M14. These "leaders" that you follow, are the same criminals who are responsible for the Lebanese civil war. In ANY other country they would all be hanged, but not in Lebanon. You want democracy? The process starts by taking down your dictators. There are more than qualified YOUNG & educated Lebanese who can rebuild and reunite the country. All Lebanese who stand with any other nation but their country, are more than welcome to leave.
