Report: Aoun Links Election of President to Regional Developments
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun rejected the recent reports that spoke of a regional or international settlement to end the political and presidential deadlock in Lebanon, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Sunday.
His visitors quoted him as saying however: “We cannot separate the Lebanese file from the situation in Syria.”
“We should therefore wait for solutions to regional crises” to end Lebanese ones,” he added.
“Given this position, Aoun refuses to abandon his nomination for the presidency in favor of Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh,” said his visitors.
He revealed that he had informed the lawmaker that he does not intend to withdraw from the presidential race, saying that he is entitled to run for the post along with anyone else who wants to.
Aoun and Franjieh had held talks on Wednesday.
Media reports had recently said that the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran had discussed Lebanese affairs on the margins of a Vienna meeting on the Syrian crisis.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir announced on Friday however no such talks had taken place.
Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of a successor.
Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise candidate have thwarted the polls.
Recent efforts to end the vacuum saw Franjieh emerge as a presidential candidate as part of a greater settlement that would revitalize the political scene in the country.
The initiative, launched by Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri, has however been met with the reservations of the Lebanese Forces, Kataeb Party, and the Free Patriotic Movement.
Hizbullah, Aoun's ally, is also still reportedly committed to his nomination.
13 December 2015, 12:31
43
“We cannot separate the Lebanese file from the situation in Syria.”
meaning you can wait long before a president is elected.... LOL
13 December 2015, 13:37
54
Because Lebanon is NOT an isolated Island far away from a burning region, that is what March 14 believes Lebanon is.
Focus on destroying the takfiri scourge, then we can all have fun and discuss about Lebanons politics, but first remove the threats closing in on us all.
13 December 2015, 13:38
54
humble why do you call the majority christians in Lebanon traitors?
I believe you are a traitor yourself, you support takfiris and Geagea plus Saudi Arabia, that means you work against the Christians interests in the region and works for their suffering.
13 December 2015, 13:59
43
@Mastica,
The traitors are those who are sold to the outside INCLUDING IRAN.
13 December 2015, 14:05
43
Ebola is manipulating the neurasthenic mareedman to gain more time.
13 December 2015, 18:03
21
“We cannot separate the Lebanese file from the situation in Syria.”
yes, you can but you just spat on the disassociation Policy and went to war in syria therefore bringing it to Lebanon ...
13 December 2015, 18:42
20
I thought he had passed the baton to his son in law Thibran Bassil. So how is Aoun still the head of the FPM? I supposed old leaders never die, they just linger.
So now the head of the "Free Patriotic Movement" says that the Presidency in Lebanon cannot be decided until regional issues are settled. “We cannot separate the Lebanese file from the situation in Syria.” The presidency is to be dictated from outside the country, indeed, outside of the constitution. And Aoun has justified himself and has party as being authentically Lebanese and Patriotic. It is neither. He is fully exposed as the fraud that he always has been. Lebanese, drop this guy!! He is not worthy of Lebanon or of you.
