Suleiman: There Is No Independence When Lebanese Groups Fight in Other Countries' Wars
President Michel Suleiman stated on Thursday that there is no independence in the country when armed groups get involved in a neighboring country's war.
“There is no independence when some Lebanese factions disregard national consensus, risk Lebanon's stability and get involved in the fighting in a neighboring country's war,” Suleiman said in a speech he gave on the eve of Independence Day.
He added: “There is also no independence if security forces were not the only groups authorized to carry arms in the country.”
Suleiman considered that the national crisis that is paralyzing the work of the state's institutions “draws question marks around the meaning of independence, of democratic practices and of the Lebanese system and whether it serves the national interests.”
He urged political leaders not to allow vacuum in the states' institutions, stressing also on the importance of holding the presidential election on time.
“The coming months must not be a waste of time but an opportunity to reach consensus over an electoral law, to withdraw from Syria, to start national dialogue sessions, to adopt administrative decentralization and to form a committee to follow up on the issue of those missing in the war.”
He called for “returning to the rule of law, abiding by the constitutions and becoming under the authority of the state and its institutions in order to avoid strife.”
He said: “We stress on our national unity and on religious coexistence. I call on you to contribute to the building of a just and capable state that the younger generations aspire to have.”
“I am confident that Lebanon cannot conform with extremist and totalitarian policies.”
In his “last” Independence Day speech, the president listed the efforts he has exerted to gather international support for Lebanon, in order for the country to be capable to deal with the numerous challenges facing it.
“We have sought to place Lebanon again as a power on the international scene, and as an independent and sovereign country to attract investors,” Suleiman said.
He continued: “Diplomatic efforts exerted have contributed to the formation of an international group of countries that are seeking support for Lebanon, to endorse its economy and find solutions to the refugees' crisis.”
“We held an international summit in Kuwait to share the financial burdens of the refugees' crisis and another meeting will take place at the beginning of 2014.”
He warned, however, that the Lebanese state “will not hesitate to take any decision if its existence was threatened, in case the international community does not fulfill its duties towards the refugees' crisis.”
Source: Naharnet
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