Report: Ferzli 'Outside' His Bloc, Criticizes Presidential Term

Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli made "surprising" remarks about the Presidential term of Michel Aoun saying “the term did not achieve the desired outcome,” after which he was reportedly “ousted” from his Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc.

In remarks to the Saudi newspaper Asharq el-Awsat on Thursday, Ferzli affirmed that his proposal for the army to take over power in Lebanon, came to stop the disintegration and collapse of institutions by the ruling authority, fearing it would drag to the military institution.

“Before (being a supporter of the presidential term of Michel Aoun) the (presidential) term, and before my parliamentary position, I can not but be part of the people and citizens in Lebanon. I can not be separate from the reality and collapse which is likely to aggravate,” said Ferzli in remarks to the daily.

Listing the manifestations of the collapse in Lebanon, Ferzli pointed to “the resigned government (of Hassan Diab), indefinite halt of the government formation consultations, resigned lawmakers without any intention to stage by-elections to replace them which is a coup against the constitution, and could be a prelude to refrain from staging the municipal elections next year, and consequently the presidential elections.”

He said failure to stage these elections could drive “those in power” today, in reference to the President’s political party, the Free Patriotic Movement, to use it as a pretext to extend the term of the president.

“Those in power today may use the pretext of “staying” (in power over claims to continue) in order to run public facilities,” he said. “If President Aoun came to say I can not leave my post, what shall we say to him?” stated Ferzli.

According to media reports, the Strong Lebanon bloc, led by the son-in-law of Aoun, Jebran Bassil chose to oust Ferzli from the bloc by “creating a whatsapp group without inviting Ferzli to it.”

Pointing to the “disintegration” of the state’s institutions, he said: “What made things worse is the latest scene represented by the rebellion of Judge Ghada Aoun against the decision suspending her from investigating financial crimes, accompanied by an explicit call by the Minister of Justice who called for an uprising in the judiciary.”

“What prevents the disintegration of the state’s institutions from reaching the military?” he asked.

“The term (of Aoun) did not meet the desired target. I have always stood by the President, I expected a lot of his term," said the Deputy Speaker.

Ferzli had earlier suggested that the army become in power for a “transitional period” in order to “pave the way for holding elections and recreating authorities on new foundations.”