Salam Reiterates Support for State's Institutions, Calls for a Locally-Chosen President
Prime Minister Tamman Salam reiterated on Saturday his support for the state's “legitimate institutions,” calling for providing them with the needed political cover.
"Our choice is the state's security and and legitimate institutions only,” Salam said in an interview with Radio Orient.
"All political forces are responsible for the situation in the country, and without a political cover, these institutions cannot do anything,” he added, hoping that a harmonious stance in this regard would prevail in the cabinet.
"But we must recognize and praise the army, the security forces as well as the Intelligence Bureau for all their achievements, and because they were able to thwart several planned wrongdoings and resisted to terrorism over the years.”
Salam's comments on the state's institutions came as he was tackling the security situation in the norther city of Tripoli.
A security source said earlier Saturday that clashes in the northern city have killed 24 people since March 13, as sniper fire forced the closure of the highway to Syria.
The army has been deployed in Tripoli for several weeks to try to bring peace to the warring districts but troops have repeatedly come under fire.
"The situation in Tripoli is unstable, complicated and is an accumulation of several factors and events,” Salam said. “And therefore, we cannot find a solution with one word or by adopting a certain stance.”
"But at the end, security and legitimate institutions must interfere and get the people of Tripoli out of this situation,” he assured.
Salam also remarked that the city would need further care on the social and economic levels “to compensate for people's suffering and tragedy.”
Tackling the repeated Syrian air raids on the eastern border town of Arsal, the prime minister said: “This shelling is hurtful, unjustified and unacceptable.”
"Maybe these happenings can help us reach a defense strategy and embrace all political forces to face such attacks,” he remarked, pointing out the cabinet's “on ground success in taking the decision to deploy troops in the region.”
"This achievement has saved the area a huge crisis.”
"We lament that the common history the two countries shared has now been transformed into such acts,” Salam expressed.
On the upcoming presidential elections, the PM hoped a locally-made president would be chosen before the constitutional deadline, warning that the alternative would be vacuum.
He added that a consensual president might be elected since this is “a consensual phase in Lebanon's history.”
"Consensus played a great role in the cabinet's formation, and I believe this atmosphere might just characterize the current phase,” he explained.
Salam also hailed the role played by president Mihcel Suleiman, remarking that the presidency hasn't, for a long time, witnessed such a strong presence.
Separately, Salam called on Hizbullah to revise many of the decisions it has taken.
"A defense strategy could be a gateway towards repairing the adopted procedures and the committed errors that did not do Lebanon or the Lebanese any good,” he said.
“Regardless of its power, the strong relations it has nested, or foreign influence, any political force must take part in building and shielding the country,” Salam stressed.
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