Rahi Applauds Aoun’s Syria Position at Cabinet

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stressed on Friday that President Michel Aoun is the “guardian of the Constitution,” and described his stances during a heated Cabinet meeting on Thursday as “honorable.”

Rahi whose remarks came after meeting Aoun at the Presidential Palace said: “The President is the guardian of the Constitution and the guardian of the people. His stance at the Cabinet yesterday was honorable.”

“The Constitution is clear and Article 49 is also clear and the President has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution, the sovereignty of the nation, the unity of the people and the affairs of the state. He does not infringe upon anyone, the country would collapse in the absence of the president," said Rahi.

On the file of Syrian refugees and Aoun’s adamant insistence to resolve the file without linking it to a political solution in Syria, Rahi said: “If we wait for a political solution for the Syrian crisis in order for the refugees to return home, we will get what happened to us in the Palestinian file.”

Aoun on Thursday ended the Cabinet's first session after a heated debate erupted over the thorny issue of relations with Syria.

“I know what Lebanon’s higher interest is, I am at the center of responsibility and these are my jurisdictions because I am the only one who made an oath to preserve the Constitution, the laws and people’s safety,” Aoun said.

Political camps in Lebanon are divided over normalizing ties with Syria to return the refugees to their homeland.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his political camp has expressed reservations over the issue.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement MP Mohammed Hajjar said in a tweet defending the jurisdictions of Hariri after Aoun’s remarks: “It may be useful to recall Article 64, as amended by the Constitutional Law as of 21 September 1990: The Prime Minister represents and speaks on behalf of the government and is responsible for implementing the general policy set by the Council of Ministers.”