Aoun: Presidential Vote to Happen on Time, a Consensual President is a Weak President
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Wednesday stressed that “the presidential election will definitely happen on time,” noting that a “consensual president” would be a “weak president.”
“The elections will definitely take place on time,” Aoun said during an interview on NBN television.
“A strong president is a president whose strength stems from himself and who enjoys popular support and represents his sect ... He would have the ability to talk to all parties,” Aoun said in response to a question.
He lamented that “all powers are concentrated in the hand of the prime minister,” noting that under current the political system the premier is the one who should be “fair” and consensual.
“There is a major deficiency regarding the constitutional clauses pertaining to the president and his powers,” Aoun added.
Asked about Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat's call for a “consensual” president, Aoun said a consensual president would be a “weak” head of state.
Commenting on the deliberations of the panel drafting the ministerial policy statement and the controversy over the so-called army-people-resistance equation, Aoun said: “When the army can no longer defend the country, there is a right to defense that must be practiced by anyone.”
“The U.N. preserves your right to resistance if your land is occupied or if you are facing a permanent threat and I'm not concerned with the competition that is taking place in the drafting of the ministerial policy statement,” Aoun said.
Commenting on the issue of incorporating the Baabda Declaration into the policy statement, Aoun said “the dispute is not over Hizbullah's presence in Syria as the question is about identifying the danger.”
“What's happening in Syria is happening on our border and it poses a threat to us. Hizbullah or any other party might have a viewpoint on how to confront the threat, but we must agree on identifying this threat,” he said.
“Two ideas were on the table -- mulling the defense strategy and the other camp's remarks about 'disarming Hizbullah.' The two ideas were not homogenous as you must first discuss the defense strategy and see whether Hizbullah has a role in it or not,” Aoun explained.
He pointed out that “every Lebanese is fearing for themselves and this period requires total calm.”
“We must suspend the disputes, move forward and cooperate and there is a domestic will in this regard,” Aoun said.
“The situation in the country is not normal and we want to reach a new stage in governance. There was no executive authority amid the presence of the previous resigned cabinet and the awareness of the Lebanese has pacified things,” Aoun noted.
Asked about Israel's latest airstrike on a Hizbullah target on the Lebanese-Syrian border, Aoun said the raid was aimed at “creating discord among the components of society and negative repercussions.”
“It aims to ignite the situation and the Syrian opposition would benefit from it on the ground,” he added.
Commenting on Hizbullah's military intervention in Syria, Aoun said: “Eighty-three countries are sending gunmen to Syria and they are not on Syria's border. We're not safe from the threat of these gunmen.”
“There is an incubator for terrorism in Lebanon and we must first address the sources of terrorism,” he said.
Asked about the Lebanese Army's performance, Aoun added: “The current situations are costing the army major sacrifices and the army now has intelligence information to perform its missions.”
“This is a cabinet for 100 days and there is an international will to preserve Lebanon's stability. The elections must happen on time and the Lebanese are to blame for any delay that would harm the institutions,” the FPM leader said.
“Nowadays, no one has time for us as every state is preoccupied with its own problems. We must have our own decision and no one can defeat us if we unite our will. We must forget our differences from now until the presidential vote,” said Aoun.
He called on Lebanese leaders to “sit around the table and discuss the core issues as we're facing a threat from Syria and we must deter this threat and focus on it.”
Asked about the Lebanese Forces' refusal to join the new cabinet, Aoun said: “The LF believe that they were right in boycotting cabinet, but principles are not everything as there is something called pragmatism and the principle here is salvation.”
Commenting on the allocation of the security-related portfolios to the March 14 camp and President Michel Suleiman, Aoun said: “They are now in charge of security and I wish them success.”
“We agree with Mustaqbal (Movement) on dialogue and overcoming the crisis in order to create an opportunity to reach national consensus among all the country's components,” Aoun said, noting that his recent meeting former premier Saad Hariri “led to facilitating the formation of the cabinet.”
Asked if he would also meet Maronite leaders, Aoun said: “My meeting with Mustaqbal does not negate the other meetings. It is correct that I'm in an alliance with Hizbullah but I'm not in a conflict with the Mustaqbal Movement and I want the rivals to reach a common solution to the crisis in Lebanon.”
“The initiative is for the welfare of all the Lebanese,” he stressed.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/120367 |