Aoun Sticks to Understanding with Resistance and to Hizbullah Choice in Cabinet Participation
Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun said Saturday that the “strategic understanding” with the resistance hasn't changed despite disagreements on local issues, adding the FPM and Hizbullah would have similar stances on their participation in the new government.
“The strategic understanding with the resistance will not change but there are some local issues that there should be leniency in dealing with,” Aoun told Hizbullah's al-Nour radio in an interview.
He accused Premier-designate Tammam Salam of putting conditions that were “impossible” to implement.
Salam wants a 24-member cabinet, in which the March 8 and 14 alliances, and the centrists would get 8 ministers each.
But March 8 wants veto power, which Salam opposes.
The FPM wouldn't participate in the cabinet if Hizbullah refused to do so as well, Aoun said.
His remark appeared to corroborate a report in al-Akhbar daily on Friday that Hizbullah officials have contacted Aoun to confirm that the party was committed to having a united stance with Speaker Nabih Berri's Amal movement and the FPM in the decision on whether to participate or not in the government.
The report came after Berri said that the March 8 alliance of Hizbullah, Amal and the FPM was finished on issues linked to their shares in the new cabinet.
Differences between the FPM on one hand and Hizbullah and Amal began emerging late May over the extension of parliament’s term, which Aoun opposed, and more recently over the extension of Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji's mandate.
Aoun did not make a final stance on whether lawmakers from his Change and Reform bloc would attend a session set by Berri for Tuesday or boycott it.
Their attendance is linked to the session’s agenda, he said.
Aoun told his interviewer that sometimes he agreed with Berri and at other times he disagreed with him.
The FPM chief said his ties with him were limited to the meetings held between the speaker and the Change and Reform MPs.
Asked about a report in al-Akhbar daily on Saturday about a rapprochement between him and al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri, Aoun welcomed any such move among the Lebanese parties.
“Rapprochement and stability are for all the Lebanese,” he said without confirming the report.
“The Saudis are seeking for rapprochement among the Lebanese for the sake of stability,” the MP added.
Aoun and Hariri have recently had “indirect contacts,” FPM sources told al-Akhbar.
The development in the relations between the foes came in the aftermath of a visit that Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Asiri made to Aoun earlier in the month, they said.
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