Aoun Tells Defense Council Security Forces Must 'Preserve Security Peacefully'
President Michel Aoun on Thursday convened the country’s Higher Defense Council over yesterday’s incidents at the Mecattaf money exchange firm in Awkar.
The area outside the company witnessed scuffles between security forces and supporters of Aoun and his Free Patriotic Movement during a new raid by controversial Judge Ghada Aoun on the firm’s offices.
The president “stressed the importance of respecting freedom of expression while preserving public and private properties and refraining from attacking them,” a statement issued after the meeting said.
“What’s important is to return to order and sympathize with the plight and pain of citizens, especially that they have lost their money and deposits,” Aoun told the conferees, while calling on security forces to “preserve security peacefully according to the applicable regulations.”
Caretaker PM Hassan Diab for his part emphasized “the need to avoid tensions resulting from the economic and social situations,” urging the formation of a new government as soon as possible.
He also called for approving a capital control law and carrying on with the forensic financial audit that his government had approved in March 2020.
Caretaker Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi for his part commented on the Awkar incidents, noting that the Internal Security Forces “acted within the scope of controlling security and preventing attacks on private and public properties.”
Aoun then underlined to the conferees the importance of “avoiding a repetition of what happened,” while calling on citizens to “show patience.”
Noting that he understands their “pains and plight,” the president added that he is pushing for a forensic audit to “enable citizens to recover their rights after exposing the reasons behind the financial deterioration in the country.”
The meeting was preceded by bilateral talks between Aoun and Diab, who briefed the president on the outcome of his latest visit to Qatar.
The caretaker PM told the president that “the Qatari officials are standing by Lebanon and are willing to help it in the various fields,” the statement said.
Source: Naharnet
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