Saniora Says Aoun Has No Chances of Reaching Baabda
Al-Mustaqal Movement parliamentary bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora stressed on Saturday that Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun has no chances of reaching the presidential palace in Baabda.
“The hijacked presidency is ruining the country's reputation,” Saniora's visitors quoted him as saying in comments published in As Safir newspaper.
He pointed out that the presidential vacuum is worsening the situation in the country.
“We are definitely seeking the election of a strong president, who has leadership skills and could unite the Lebanese and not increase the gap between them,” Saniora reportedly said.
He accused Hizbullah of impeding the polls over its insistence to press the election of Aoun.
“It is clear that Aoun has no chance of reaching the presidency... he has been informed... if he still has hope then it's his problem,” Saniora pointed out.
Asked about an alleged deal that guarantees the appointment of Aoun's son-in-law Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz as army chief on the condition of his withdrawal from the presidential run, Saniora said: “There's no such agreement... we could reach a settlement but we will not back down.”
Media reports had said that Aoun's main objective is to receive political consensus on the appointment of Roukoz as army chief as part of a package for the appointment of other top security officers.
Roukoz's tenure ends in October while the term of army commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji expires at the end of September.
Despite the reports about his insistence to have his son-in-law as army chief, Aoun denied that he had made such a proposal.
The military posts in Lebanon are suffering as the result of the months-long presidential vacuum in light of the parliament's failure to elect a successor for Michel Suleiman whose tenure ended in May. The vacuum also threatens the Internal Security Forces as chief Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous is set to retire in June.
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