Suleiman Says State Sole Guarantee, Calls for Consensus on Policy Statement
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
President Michel Suleiman stressed on Saturday that the Baabda declaration reflects the aspirations of the Lebanese, calling on the arch-foes to ink the cabinet's policy statement based on the consensus of its formation.
“The state is the only guarantee for national unity and history has proved that we are strong when we have agreement on the broad national issues,” Suleiman said in a speech during the opening of Lebanese Economic Forum at the Four Seasons Hotel in Biel.
He pointed out that the Lebanese rival parties abandoned their high demands and formed a balanced, national unity government, which should be the foundation of all upcoming political challenges.
A seven-member panel drafting the ministerial policy statement, chaired by Prime Minister Tammam Salam, adjourned its discussions to Tuesday after failing during a ninth meeting to agree on the clause related to resistance against Israel.
The president called on all parties to respect the upcoming constitutional deadlines and to carry them within their timeframe, in particular the presidential elections.
Suleiman’s tenure ends in May 2014, but the constitutional period to elect a new head of state begins on March 25, two months prior to the expiration of Suleiman’s mandate.
The rival ministers pointed out after Friday's session that the gap between the March 14 and 8 alliances is still wide.
Suleiman and the March 14 alliance on one side and the Hizbullah-led March 8 camp on the other are locked in a dispute on the resistance clause of the policy statement.
Suleiman and March 14 are upholding the Baabda Declaration. But March 8, which includes Speaker Nabih Berri's Amal movement, is insisting on including in the blueprint Lebanon’s right to armed resistance against Israeli occupation.
Concerning the economic challenges confronting Lebanon, Suleiman said that the Baabda Palace will reveal an administrative decentralization approach to resolve the country's economic woes.
“It is time to implement courageous and rational economic policies,” Suleiman told participants.
He noted that “hopeless economic models shouldn't be adopted anymore as reforms must be carried out,” adding that “a law concerning the partnership between the public and private sectors should be adopted.”
The country's economy has suffered from years of domestic political turmoil, Syria-related clashes in several areas across Lebanon, a wave of kidnappings and plummeting tourism revenues.
08 March 2014, 11:40
08
Bravo Mr. President for your courage in asserting the role of the national institutions.
08 March 2014, 12:23
00
MR president
2 month away from your term u took a great position which should you have taking at the start of your term
08 March 2014, 12:24
611
it is with sadness that I noticed that all m8 guys have confirmed they are hypocrites thus we can consider all their previous comments that were pro army as BS.
not one of them stepped up to condemn the extremist terrorist Iranian militia's actions against the army.
they are traitors to Lebanon, and not one of them is worthy to be heard.
therefore I ask all the commentators on this site to stop replying these traitors.
08 March 2014, 12:56
65
http://www.lorientlejour.com/article/857878/habla-con-ellas.html
08 March 2014, 15:18
45
I have been on the president's side for God knows how long. I have for a very long time been telling everyone, that this president is doing work that is nothing short of miraculous. I've been saying that he is the cleanest around since Bachir Gemayel, that he is 101% super clean, honest, decent, patriotic and that he together with a very few men are holding the nation of falling into the abyss, General Qahwaji is the second gentleman by the side of Suleiman. Suleiman under Taef is working under greatly reduced powers, but all along has done the kind of work that belongs to giants. The name of Lebanon in the Diaspora has been taken away from the mud, and back to the highest pedestal, now that Hezbollah is trying all it could to corner him, that they are finally realizing that Suleiman is a man made with pure stainless steel. God bless you Mr. President, we the people are with you.
08 March 2014, 15:54
53
Sorry to disturb your opinion: there is a big gap between Suleiman and kahwaji, whereby the first is a pure Lebanese, the latter is closer to the previous president.
08 March 2014, 16:02
00
Dear Geha, your opinion is held in high esteem by me, but on Qahwaji I very much regret to tell you that I stand by my views over him. Trust me, me like him have been constrained under the ruthless and brutal Syrian hegemony, who wasn't at one time or the other? But what matters paramount to me is this; men like Qahwaji have never sold their souls to Syria, they remain pure Lebanese.
08 March 2014, 16:13
53
I know for a fact that you are deeply wrong on this one.
anyway, it is your opinion, and I will not discuss it, but there are too many warning bells about this guy t make anyone feel the chill.
08 March 2014, 16:08
22
Thank you LF. You see, people like the FPM belong to no principle at all, they rather belong to a situation herein derived from an old Mexican soap opera, "Ana aw la a7ad". To attain to their aims, as unholy as they are, they will espouse without any scrutiny, anything or anyone that will help advance their own personal or party interests. If this means allying with Hezbollah, it's perfectly fine, if it is the Syrian regime, even better, remember, their leader our old man Aoun hopped from Saddam's Baghdad, to Bachar's Damascus. Before that, it was Paris, then DC, always and inveriably so, the present element of benefit at the material time is always right, until a fitting replacement is found. In French they are known as "Arrivistes". Now I can tell you that more and more people are leaving the FPM, not necessarily for the LF, but in total disgust. Just a mater of time, that's all.
08 March 2014, 16:11
22
For the FPM, just as it is for HA, they have what is generally known as the sacrificial lamb. At a given time it was the LF, now it is the President of Lebanon and the Lebanese State. Aoun, for a man who once prided himself as belonging to the noble ranks of the LAF, is now siding with the devil in his attempts to destroy an entire nation, just for him to make it to that famous seat. But Inshallah, it will NOT happen, never. Man proposes, and God disposes.
08 March 2014, 20:08
21
Ya Bani Maarouf, I do admire your intelligent posts, that is why I cannot but return you more than two liners. Grow up!!
08 March 2014, 16:31
22
I too is a Suleiman admirer and I think he will be missed tremendously once he is gone. He is one of those low profile and low key people who worked behind the scenes to stabilize a situation that could have erupted into full blown war years ago.
But on this particular Statement below, I want to be a bit critical... so here is the statement:
“The state is the only guarantee for national unity and history has proved that we are strong when we have agreement on the broad national issues"
I agree with the first part of the statement, but not the second part. Lebanon must be strong even when the thug politicians disagree. Otherwise the sharks will always be stronger than the State. When they disagree and because of foreign bribery and meddling, they should be put in jail without weakening the State in any form. I look forward to such a day.
08 March 2014, 20:27
11
Exactly. Too many Shias fear to voice their difference from Hizbullah because they fear to defenseless as they used to be in many Sunni countries. They need to know they can be free and proud of their sect without supporting the khomeinist terrorist cancer that is destroying Lebanon.
08 March 2014, 23:19
02
The proud Lebanese voice of independence is back. Lets hope all these so called leaders stand unified with a common moral voice demanding we preserve all that is good in the Lebanese culture. We are a proud people and self sufficient the sooner we realise this and act accordingly the closer we will be to true peace.
