Aoun, Bassil Press for Demands and Issue Fresh Warnings
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said Thursday that he would take more escalatory measures if needed but stressed that he would give dialogue a chance amid fresh warnings by his son-in-law Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.
“We will resort to escalation if needed, but we back dialogue,” Aoun was quoted as telling reporters at his residence in Rabieh.
“We won't allow our Christian and patriotic rights to be violated,” he warned in a chat with the reporters.
Aoun spoke a day after he mobilized his supporters to hold street protests against what he terms as the violation of the rights of Christians and Defense Minister Samir Moqbel's decision to extend the terms of top three military officers.
FPM members held motorized protests and later gathered in downtown Beirut's Martyrs Square.
The FPM has accused Prime Minister Tammam Salam of infringing on the rights of the Christian president in his absence.
The movement's ministers want to amend the cabinet's working mechanism to have a say on its agenda. They also reject the extension of the terms of security and military officials, calling for the appointment of new ones.
But they failed to pressure Salam during Thursday's cabinet session, which was not able to take any decision.
Bassil, who is one of two ministers representing the FPM, said “by remaining silent to the defense minister's move, the government made a violation.”
“No decision can be taken by the cabinet without consensus in the absence of a president,” Bassil said at a press conference he held in Bustros Palace.
“There was a disregard to our popular representation during today's cabinet session, and a disregard to our popular movement,” he said, adding “this is an insult to us, to all those who took to the streets and to all those who will resort to the streets in the coming days.”
“We will not allow to be marginalized,” he stressed, warning “there would be a bigger explosion outside the cabinet.”
G.K.
D.A.
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