Rifi Compares Aoun to Nero, Says Salam Must Convene Cabinet
Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi has lashed out at Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun, accusing him of seeking to suspend cabinet sessions and “the interests of the Lebanese.”
“We will ask Prime Minister Tammam Salam to convene the cabinet, seeing as (the representation of all sects) is guaranteed and the country's circumstances cannot withstand a suspension of cabinet sessions,” said Rifi in an interview with al-Liwaa newspaper to be published Monday.
“The Constitution gives the premier the jurisdiction to set the date of cabinet sessions and their agendas, and PM Salam must not give up his powers,” Rifi added.
Aoun is reportedly seeking a settlement before easing the government's deadlock.
“Michel Aoun's behavior must stop and he must not be given a chance to paralyze the interests of the Lebanese. Just like Nero, Aoun is willing to burn the country for the sake of his interests and the interests of his family,” Rifi charged.
Nero was Roman emperor from 54 to 68. In 64 AD, most of Rome was destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome, which many Romans believed Nero himself had started in order to clear land for his planned palatial complex, the Domus Aurea.
“Let's not forget that he blocked the formation of the cabinet for seven months to appoint his son-in-law Jebran Bassil as minister,” Rifi added.
"Michel Aoun did not paralyze the cabinet and did not threaten to resort to street protests when his (Shiite) allies usurped the post of General Security director. We did not see him lamenting the rights of Christians back then,” the minister went on to say.
On Saturday, Aoun issued another warning against a possible extension of the term of the army chief, accusing some parties of practicing dictatorship.
“We will not sit idly by over the manipulation of the law with regards to the military,” Aoun said.
“The extension of the terms of the army chief and the heads of military intelligence and Internal Security Forces is illegitimate. This harms the morale of the officers,” he said.
Aoun has been lobbying for political consensus on the appointment of Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz, his son-in-law, as army chief.
His efforts have put the cabinet in paralysis. FPM officials have warned that Change and Reform bloc ministers would block any cabinet decision before security appointments are made.
But rival parties are prone to extend the term of Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji, whose term expires in September.
Y.R.
14 June 2015, 18:52
00
In a civilized society a person of Aoun`s character ought to be arrested and thrown in jail. This person is mentally sick.
14 June 2015, 19:22
138
"Michel Aoun did not paralyze the cabinet and did not threaten to resort to street protests when his (Shiite) allies usurped the post of General Security director. We did not see him lamenting the rights of Christians back then,” the minister went on to say.
Yet, Aoun is always singing to the tune of protecting Christian rights in Lebanon. A traitor like no other!
15 June 2015, 15:22
03
Trick, how many thumbs down did your people do today? Would it change anything? You're sliding, sliding down, and down there's something waiting for you, you see?
14 June 2015, 20:03
611
Mr Riffi when you were a civil servant you disobeyed orders from your direct superior then i.e. minister Baroud and even the president
so instead of giving lessons of how to respect the law judge yourself first cause what you did deserve the highest punishement in a real state i.e. democratic state
god bless democracy
15 June 2015, 19:38
00
@+ oua nabka + (Guest), people like you simply cannot stand anyone who stands on the way of your Hezbollah-led M8. Some years ago, when Suleiman was president, you people had no shortage of praise for him, then later on, especially after Nahr El Bared and his disregard for Sayed Hassan's red line, (the wanna be Lord of the Dahieh ring), you guys couldn't find enough words to show your hatred for him. Then when Qahwaji became army general, it was the same again, and when he started disregarding Hezbollah's wishes, you had again no shortage of bad words over him. Now you've set your sights on Rifi, why, because he is doing his job? Please, make up your minds at HA/M8, there will come the time when you won't even realize what you're up and against.
14 June 2015, 20:53
123
Lebanon08, if this is your definition of a strong Christian leader, then the English language must find a new word to replace it, in fact just like anything your seriously deranged Aoun touches, he destroys to ashes. What your Hezbollah wants in truth is not s strong Christian leader but a stooge, a lackey, a laptog, all combined to make a convenient door keeper, a bottler, a jester and a rubber-stamper. Unfortunately for your side, you've ran out of ink, you'll have no foot-licking president.
14 June 2015, 21:00
134
NES, press the report option, haven't you noticed when M8 posters post, it's mostly about denigration and insults? Trick is just one such reflection.
14 June 2015, 21:07
136
Mr. Rifi, calling Aoun another Nero is being mild. Aoun is a blatant coward, a pretender and an arriviste. Can't you see Mr. Rifi that Aoun's real job is to sabotage Lebanon? Don't you realize that he has been at it for decades now? Instead of lamenting, just move ahead, the conditions to elect a new president are in the constitution, whether the Claoun likes it or not, let get a new president and start solving the rest of our problems. I can assure you, when the country starts moving ahead, Aoun will suffer a heart attack, and finally I will open my two 1943 bottles of wines and celebrate the end of Lebanon's Nero, and the rebirth of Lebanon. I will also use 20 clips of celebratory M16 fire. Yalla Mr. Rifi, we've given this sick man more than enough time.
14 June 2015, 22:42
135
Wow... !!! People are just starting to discover who really is the mareedman...
14 June 2015, 22:45
125
Wow... !!! People are just starting to discover who really is the mareedman...
14 June 2015, 22:55
125
Can someoe explain to TRIC ...TRAC of Lisbon how to write the word CHRISTIANS??
Christians come from CHRIST, not from CRISTH !!!
14 June 2015, 22:57
125
Then please tell Tric..Trac that the Caporal is destroying the future of the CHRISTIANS for his personal benefit and the benefit of his family...
14 June 2015, 23:03
125
Also we could tell Tric.Trac that there exist some Christians who are liars, corrupt, agents, traitors and mentally ill.
But the Caporal beats everybody : he is also a coward, a super-megalomaniac and truly mad...like Nero...
15 June 2015, 06:29
126
aoun= total looser, a shitty officer that abandonned his post in 1990 instead of dying there as he promised he will do after he sacrificied half the army and those young men who followed him and the idiots that still follow him....some people never learn...wlooooo....
