Kordahi Says No One Should ‘Dictate’ on Lebanon a Minister’s Resignation
Minister of Information George Kordahi announced Wednesday that he cannot decide to resign "on his own" and said it's unacceptable for anyone “to dictate on us whether a minister should resign or not.”
“I am part of a cohesive government, and I cannot take a decision on my own,” he said in a press conference after an uproar over controversial statements he had made about the Yemen war.
He went on to say that “no one can dictate on us who should resign from the government and who shouldn’t.”
“Aren’t we a sovereign country?”
He added that “Lebanon shouldn’t remain subject to blackmail from any country, ambassador or individual.”
Kordahi had raised controversy by accusing Saudi Arabia and the UAE of “aggression against Yemen” in a recorded interview with al-Jazeera Online in August, a month before he was appointed as a minister in the government of Prime Minister Najib Miqati.
The statements angered the Gulf countries. The Yemeni, Saudi and Kuwaiti ambassadors to Lebanon condemned the minister’s statements and a Saudi source told MTV “the way out of the diplomatic crisis is to sack Kordahi.”
President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, the Minister of Interior and the Foreign Ministry all made statements stressing on the “brotherly ties” between Lebanon, UAE and KSA.
Moreover, Kordahi said his words in the interview were “a personal opinion” and not the government’s position. He added that he is now “committed to the ministerial statement,” as a minister.
Kordahi did not apologize, rejecting the accusation. “I did not attack KSA,” he said, adding that he is against inter-Arab wars, “out of love and friendship, not enmity.”
27 October 2021, 15:05
16
Kordahi is acting as a full supporter of Iran's agenda in Yemen. He is also a staunch supporter of the brutal regime of Bashar Assad in Syria. Lebanon should be spared of such irresponsible ministers, and I fully support Kordahi's resignation or sacking at once.
27 October 2021, 15:25
17
“Aren’t we a sovereign country?”
... and he says it with a straight face too!!!
pos!
27 October 2021, 16:21
11
Lebanons Syrian informationminister that wants to restrict pressfreedom, is now shanting his agenda using the same channel he whats to monopolize. Do not the broad mass see the level of dissonance? Just do us all a favour, move back to Qardaha where you belong. May god rescue our country from these deceptive individuals.
27 October 2021, 22:25
11
Stop watching Lebanese tv channels as I did years ago. Watching gets them revenues from advertisers.
27 October 2021, 17:02
00
Honestly, I don't even know in this age of Information super highway, social media, endless websites of everything , why does Lebanon even have a Ministry of Information? Information for what? Propaganda basically. By eliminating it, along with the Ministry of Displaced and merging some others, the bankrupt Treasury would save millions of LLP every year that could be directed to somewhere else where it's badly needed. No to the pockets of the crook Ministers and their cronies...lol
27 October 2021, 18:34
00
I used to have some respect for this guy, but now, this respect has completely vanished. He should resign today and not tomorrow. He himself says that he is not clutched to this position as he believes he is something, when in my opinion, he's simply a pompous guy void of any substance.
27 October 2021, 23:50
00
From under what rock did they pull this idiot from? No one is dictating to Lebanon to select who to stay or who to resign, but when you blab your mouth about affairs of other country, that country if it doesn't like it can cut relations with Lebanon and tell you go screw your self. He either is too stupid to manage to breath on his own, or he thinks people are that stupid... maybe he is right
