Suleiman Urges Nasrallah to Stop Fighting in Syria, Says Will Challenge Long Extension of Parliament's Mandate
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
President Michel Suleiman revealed on Wednesday that he will challenge extending the parliament's term “if it exceeded few months,” urging Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah to refrain from involving Lebanon in Syria's war.
"The elections will be held by October and I will challenge the constitutionality of extending the parliament's term before the Constitutional Council,” the President stated in an interview on Future television.
He elaborated saying that the MPs “will of course agree on extending the parliament's term because it will save them the cost of the electoral campaign.”
“But my main concern is applying and protecting the constitution.”
Suleiman said he wants the lawmakers to cut the extended term short and hold a parliamentary elections once they agree on an electoral law.
Commenting on the cabinet's formation, he revealed: “I support the formation of a council of ministers that takes up the task of holding the parliamentary elections.”
“I do not mind if the cabinet was formed of non-political figures,” he noted.
Speaker Nabih Berri called on Wednesday for a parliamentary session on Friday to discuss the extension of its mandate as an only article on its agenda.
“The current situation in the country compelled the extension of the parliament's tenure,” Berri said later during Wednesday's parliamentary meeting with lawmakers.
He pointed out that the parliament’s term will be extended to Nov, 20 2014.
Tackling the Syrian war, the president wished the Hizbullah chief would not involve the resistance in the neighboring country's ongoing turmoil, announcing also that he does not support opening the Golan front.
"It is the resistance of Lebanon, not of Syria. It was supported by all Lebanese and backed in the ministerial statement. I hope Nasrallah abides by this,” Suleiman expressed.
“The army-people-resistance equation should prevent Hizbullah from getting involved in Syria's war. The resistance should go back to being protected by the state.”
The president revealed his relationship with the party is not deteriorating: “My role as a president is to correct paths.”
He said Hizbullah should not be revealing that it wants to open the Golan front.
“Who guarantees that Israel does not attack Lebanon?,” he asked.
Suleiman assured that he did not stab Syrian President Bashar Assad in the back: “I wish Syria peace because Lebanon breaths through the neighboring country.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced on Thursday that 104 Hizbullah members had been killed in Syria since last autumn.
Hizbullah combatants have become increasingly involved in Syria's conflict, fighting alongside President Assad's forces.
Nasrallah said before that his party's involvement in Syria's war aimed at defending 13 Syrian villages along the border where Lebanese Shiites live, and the Sayyeda Zeinab shrine, revered by Shiites around the world.
But on Saturday, however, the Hizbullah leader pointed out that Syria is “the backbone of the resistance, assuring that he will not let this bone break.
On his visit to the Bekaa town of Arsal, the president explained that he singled this incident out because it differs from the ongoing clashes in (the northern city of)Tripoli and from rockets falling on the (the Bekaa's) Hermel region.
“A checkpoint was attacked in Arsal and it reminds us of the terrorism of (the northern Palestinian refugees camp of) Nahr al-Bared,” he remarked.
Suleiman also assured during the interview that stability will not be shaken in the country, saying that partnership is a guarantee for Lebanon's stability.
“Small incidents taking place do not mean that the country's stability is under a threat.”
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29 May 2013, 22:18
Suleiman on extending the army commander's term: I am not authorized to do so but I call for changing the age of retirement.
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29 May 2013, 22:17
Suleiman: Partnership is a guarantee for Lebanon's stability and small incidents taking place do not mean that the country's stability is under a threat.
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29 May 2013, 21:58
Suleiman: I am against opening the Golan front for war and the resistance should not be revealing this. Who guarantees that Israel does not attack Lebanon?
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29 May 2013, 21:54
Suleiman: My role as a president is to correct paths and my relationship with Hizbullah has not deteriorated.
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29 May 2013, 21:53
Suleiman: The "army-people-resistance" equation should prevent Hizbullah from getting involved in Syria's war. It should go back to being protected by the state.
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29 May 2013, 21:48
Suleiman: I am against anything preemptive, like the wars of ex-U.S. President George Bush.
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29 May 2013, 21:47
Suleiman: Nasrallah in entrusted with Lebanon's interest.
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29 May 2013, 21:44
Suleiman: I wish Hizbullah chief Nasrallah would not involve the resistance in Syria's war. It is the resistance of Lebanon and not of Syria. It was supported by all Lebanese and backed in the ministerial statement. I hope Nasrallah abides by this.
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29 May 2013, 21:42
Suleiman: I did not stab Syrian President Bashar Assad in the back and I wish Syria peace because Lebanon breaths through the neighboring country.
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29 May 2013, 21:38
Suleiman: I have succeeded in my job as an army commander and one of the most difficult experiences is to take decisions during critical times. We were able to preserve Lebanon's unity.
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29 May 2013, 21:34
Suleiman: My desire is for the cabinet to discuss decentralization and there is a committee headed by former Minister Ziad Baroud that is studying this issue. We will discuss it when the new cabinet is formed.
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29 May 2013, 21:31
Suleiman: Lebanon was built on partnership between religious communities and although the number of Christians has decreased, Muslims insist on equal power-sharing.
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29 May 2013, 21:28
Suleiman: I do not consider that I have abandoned Christian unanimity and I am working strategically for the interest of Christians.
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29 May 2013, 21:28
Suleiman: I have experienced centrism in my youth and enlisting in the army made me believe in moderation.
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29 May 2013, 21:27
Suleiman: To be a centrist politician means that you are independent from both March 8 and 14, you might support one or the other occasionally but your political decisions are independent.
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29 May 2013, 21:23
Suleiman: Some people appreciate my role and what the president is doing for the sake of Lebanon.
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29 May 2013, 21:07
Suleiman on his visit to Arsal: The incident that took place there differs from the clashes in Tripoli and from rockets falling on the Hermel region as a checkpoint was attacked. It reminds us of the terrorism of Nahr al-Bared.
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29 May 2013, 21:06
Suleiman: Since taking office I have advised political factions to tone the political speech down.
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29 May 2013, 21:04
Suleiman: I support the formation of a cabinet that is in charge of holding the parliamentary elections and I do not mind if it was formed of non-political figures.
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29 May 2013, 21:03
Suleiman: Quotas and calculating political gains are reasons for the failure of the Lebanese system.
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29 May 2013, 21:01
Suleiman: The people are not holding officials accountable and this has become a common practice in Lebanon. Youth must revolt on this reality.
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29 May 2013, 20:59
Suleiman: MPs are wasting opportunities for development and growth in the country and this is an indication of an incorrect application of democracy.
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29 May 2013, 20:54
Suleiman: I want the MPs to cut their extended term short once they agree on an electoral law.
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29 May 2013, 20:51
Suleiman: I will challenge the constitutionality of extending the parliament's term before the Constitutional Council.
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29 May 2013, 20:43
Suleiman: I felt that I was a consensual president at the parliamentary session when I was elected. But I never had this feeling again since I took office.
29 May 2013, 20:43
49
We need to give more power to the presidency. The Muslim leaderships and street are showing themselves irresponsible in guarding the national interest.
30 May 2013, 00:18
01
We had. Hizb-Allah solved that problem too, as, for an example, Rafik Hariri could have pointed out to you...
30 May 2013, 09:39
12
an extremely strong message was given by Obama to Suleiman last week: hizbushaitan must withdraw immediately from Syria or else.....
of course hizbushaitan will not withdraw which will lead to their annihilation soon....
by the way guys, with all the help of hizbushaitan, iran, chemical weapons, .... qusayr is still resisting against all odds.
30 May 2013, 19:20
00
bani, the only thing Aoun wants at any and all cost, is to be called president and to be worshiped by his disciples. All else is irrelevant to him.
30 May 2013, 19:24
00
bani, a president who preserves the unity of the army above all because he knows full well what would happen if that institution falls apart, is a a patriot in my book. There is nothing weak about this president but the vultures trying to poke his eyes out because he really loves his country instead of his pockets. The man is a shining example of what a true statesman is.
29 May 2013, 20:46
04
Time for lebanon to build a strong armed forces to be able to defend the nation against external enemies and safeguard democracy and the state from militias. We need unity of arm. We need a state answerable to the people and not to foreign capitals.
29 May 2013, 20:49
04
For those stating that Lebann cannot afford a strong military, can we afford not to have one? Look at all of economic losses and loss of economic opportunity because of the chaos. Time to follow the swiss or israeli models of a citizen army. In this case, you mold a nation and you make the price high for anyone thinking of attacking the country.
30 May 2013, 13:53
00
Wise idea ... in a country that is not divided from within ... citizen army will lead to 1000000 militia in every neighborhood in Lebanon.
It is true that we can not afford NOT to ohave a strong army, but we need to build the idea of a nation first within the heart of the Lebanese.
30 May 2013, 19:23
00
In Israel and Switzerland, the people's army was and continues to be the main engine for modling the nation.
29 May 2013, 20:51
16
The Hizb must accept to subordinate its arms to the state. Anything less is not acceptable.
29 May 2013, 23:24
16
I salute this honorable man he is by far the best president we have ever had. Without him lebanon would already witness a new civil war. I hope he will be able to achieve something very important for lebanon before he retires.
30 May 2013, 19:27
00
Tabbouleh, second best president. Bashir was the first. We wouldn't be here had he not been assassinated.
29 May 2013, 23:42
23
Hizbullahstan is a réalité that overwelmed us day after day. Weapons, police, army, telecommunication, control if airport, harbor, frontier, control of the foreign policy, etc...
Hizbustan has achieved this thanks to the legitimacy given by Aoun in return of money and political backing.
The Sunnis were attacked, the state has been canibalized and the looser is Lebanon. The winners are the Iranians and the Syrian regime.
30 May 2013, 03:42
21
If it wasn't for your Christians splitting, we wouldn't be in this shit hole. Christians, sunnis, shia, druze, all you all deserve what you are getting, as long as you keep the same leaders you have had since the civil war.
29 May 2013, 23:51
04
LOL! as if hezbollah will listen to its president! their president is in iran and they only obey him!
30 May 2013, 04:59
01
it is time the President to form his own political party ..the majority of Lebanese will support him ..only way to have a strong state.
30 May 2013, 08:07
01
Indeed. That is what general Chehab tried to do and was fought by the Christian leaders. Only way out is to think Lebanese rather then sect or worse Iranian.
30 May 2013, 10:16
10
What geniuses you, maroun and LebDinosaur are. I just hope our great good-for-nothing corrupt president-by-parachute reads your comments because if he doesn't then he is definitely missing out on some priceless advice.
30 May 2013, 07:41
01
Well said Mr. President.
Please don't let them extend the parliament more than 2-3 months max. Thanks
30 May 2013, 07:42
01
In short the President is asking Hassan to stop being Iranian and to become Lebanese
30 May 2013, 17:41
00
Suleiman "urged"??? Or more exactly, cautiously, kindly (fearfully?) asked our local Idi Amin Dadallah to stop etc.
A slight difference!
30 May 2013, 19:35
00
ya pheonix, he who is oppressing you at gunpoint and keeping you from exercising your freedom is he who is running the show. Move HA's gun from your head and all of a sudden the Taef is no longer a bad stepping stone for the reforms that it was intended to bring about.
Anyone who claims that Taef was implemented as written...is a revisionist. Taef was intended to pave the way out of the dark ages. Instead it was trampled on so we can have the glorious HA.
