Aoun: We’re Proud of Arms as They’ve Preserved our Dignity, Campaign against them Attack on National Principles

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun criticized on Tuesday attacks against the Resistance’s weapons and the base political rhetoric in Lebanon “that is harming the national principles and the mutual respect between the sects.”

He said after the movement’s weekly meeting: “We are proud of the arms because they have preserved our dignity.”

“We challenge anyone who says that the Resistance has attacked me” and the government decisions of May 5, 2008 “will never be erased from the minds of the Lebanese,” he stated.

Addressing the developments in Lebanon over the past six years, he said: “As Christians, we can deal with Sunnis and Shiites in the same way and our choice was confronting Israel and not opposing Sunnis.”

“After six years, we have not seen anything positive from the other camp,” the MP noted.

Aoun also demanded that the media refrain from broadcasting speeches “aimed at weakening the other.”

Regarding the government formation process, he said: “We are not in a hurry to form the government because it will be established based on new bases and we are not here to maintain the corruption.”

“We don’t mind that Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati is taking his time … The FPM has not proposed names that Miqati would be ashamed or proud of, but we have standards in choosing our ministers,” he continued.

Aoun rejected claims that he is obstructing the government formation process, demanding that proof of these allegations be presented.