Suleiman Says Resistance's Role in Syria Weakened it, Rejects Extension of his Term

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

President Michel Suleiman said on Friday that Hizbullah's involvement in battles in Syria weakened it, stressing that any endeavors to extend his tenure don't serve the national interest.

“The March 8 and 14 alliances have erred against me and they have both played with the nerves of the Lebanese people,” Suleiman said in an interview with the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper to be published tomorrow.

He reiterated that the presidential elections should be carried out on time, saying that the national interest compel us to stage it.

The president'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.

Suleiman pointed out that the political arch-foes should abide by the Baabda Declaration to avoid the repercussions of the Syrian crisis.

Under the Baabda Declaration, which was adopted in June 2012 during a national dialogue session headed by Suleiman, the rival March 8 and 14 camps agreed to keep Lebanon away from the policy of regional and international conflicts.

“The resistance was weakened after it engaged in battles in Syria,” Suleiman told the newspaper.

Hizbullah has dispatched fighters to battle alongside the Syrian regime against rebels seeking the overthrow of President Bashar Assad.

The conflict, pitting a Sunni-dominated rebel movement against Assad, has raised sectarian tensions in Lebanon and Lebanese Sunni fighters have also been killed while fighting alongside Syrian rebels.

Suleiman had continuously urged Hizbullah to withdraw its fighters from Syria immediately to disassociate Lebanon from the regional conflicts and to maintain Lebanon's best interest.

Comments 5
Missing ArabDemocrat.com 14 March 2014, 08:34

Of course he will retire and leave like any decent president. Not like your Demi God president who is ready to kill everyone in Syria (and to that matter Lebanon) to stay in power.

Missing helicopter 14 March 2014, 19:53

Remember, M8 do not believe in Democracy. FT admitted so himself on few occasions. So stepping out as a decent human being does not impress them.

Missing cedars 14 March 2014, 13:30

Now hizbollah will say that 3 billions Saudi went to his pocket. Simply because the president is stating the truth and the truth hurts. The fact of the matter is that we have a true militia empowered by Iran and need Syria so that their arms bridge remains open. They will not disarm because Iran is helping with money and arms.

Thumb -phoenix1 14 March 2014, 14:41

Cedars, everything has an end, even Hezbollah and Syria are on their way to their demise. No matter what Hezbollah is saying these days, no matter what the Syrian regime is saying, the truth is that now both are embroiled in a bitter war like never seen before, a war that will break every single bone that meddled with it, from the Regime to its partisans, to the Syrian rebeels and their partiisans, plus those sides that supported either sides. It's a war designed to fragilize not only Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, but the whole region and simultanuously strengthen Israel. But Arabs are Arabs, will they ever know?

Missing helicopter 14 March 2014, 19:56

Even a President whop started out his term as somewhat on their side (remember how he stood by while Beirut was taken over by HA) he realized how unreasonable and unpatriotic they are after being the arbitrator between the two camps for 6 years.