Aoun Says No Elections in March

President Michel Aoun has said that he won’t sign a decree that reschedules the parliamentary elections for March 27. “If I receive it, I will return it for reevaluation,” Aoun said.

Aoun told al-Akhbar newspaper that he will not approve that the elections take place on any other dates than May 8 and May 15. “No one can impose a decree on the president,” he added.

“The elections have never been held in Lebanon before May or June,” Aoun said, adding that the weather in March might deprive thousands of Lebanese from voting.

Aoun said he is relying on the Constitutional Council’s evaluation of the appeal filed Wednesday by the Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc.

He said that the Parliament’s recommendation to reschedule the elections is non-binding to the government, the Interior Minister and the Constitutional Council.

“The right thing to do is to respect the Constitution that gives the president the right to ask the Cabinet to reevaluate its decisions. They say I am a dictator for committing to my constitutional rights,” Aoun said.

Aoun affirmed that there will be no extension to Parliament’s term.

“There won’t be a president after me that represents no one,” Aoun said.

“I am afraid some want a presidential void; I will not hand over (the presidency) to the void,” Aoun concluded.