Suleiman Rejects Extension of his Term, Doubts Hizbullah Would Allow it

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

President Michel Suleiman reiterated on Tuesday his complete rejection to any attempt to extend his six-year-term, ruling out that Hizbullah would allow it.

“Extending my term is out of the question. If I was seeking to be granted an extension I wouldn't have taken the stance that I did over the past years,” Suleiman said in an interview with al-Mustaqbal newspaper.

He expressed belief that Hizbullah will block attempts to extend his term, wondering how the party would approve it after the recent stances he took recently.

“It's impossible,” Suleiman stressed.

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.

Asked about reports saying that Iran will agree to extend his term in return to Syrian President Bashar Assad's term extension, Suleiman denied the matter.

“The presidential elections will be staged on time despite what some sides assume,” the president noted.

He voiced hope that the political arch-foes would reach common grounds over the name of the new president, who should be a “consensual president.”

The “new president should adhere to the Baabda Declaration and seek to implement it in order to safeguard the national sovereignty.”

On Syrian President Assad's latest remarks concerning the Lebanese presidential elections, Suleiman told the daily: “We don't need specifications from the outside, we have our ingredients. We will elect a president that the Lebanese agree on.”

Earlier this month, Assad voiced hope that the next Lebanese president would support the resistance axis.

“We are interested in... what the upcoming Lebanese President could offer the axis of the resistance, which is the basic criterion for us,” Assad said.

Suleiman considered that his stances aim at “restoring the balance in the country, in particular, after Hizbullah involved in the crisis in the neighboring country Syria.”

Last week, the president lashed out at the resistance, saying: “the resistance overstepped the power given to it when it decided to engage in battles in Syria.”

On the upcoming national dialogue session set to be held on March 31 and Hizbullah's decision to boycott it, Suleiman said that the party didn't inform him about this decision.

Media reports said that Hizbullah will not attend all-party talks as it prefers to participate in a session headed by a new president other than Suleiman.

The rift increased recently between the President and Hizbullah after Suleiman described the people-army-resistance formula as "wooden" during a speech at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) in February.

Suleiman's comments had angered Hizbullah, accusing him of not being able to differentiate between “what's golden and what's wooden."

Comments 19
Thumb .mowaten. 25 March 2014, 09:36

he already promised he wouldnt seek to extend his term a month ago. why would he pretend now it's because of HA?
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/120485-suleiman-discloses-how-all-parties-agreed-on-baabda-declaration-vows-to-refuse-term-extension

Thumb cedre 25 March 2014, 09:54

it was already because of M8/HizbIran 1,2 or 3 months ago, he is not docile enough...

Thumb cedre 25 March 2014, 10:31

new account southern ?

Thumb Mrowwe 25 March 2014, 13:19

Why do you guys (southern & co) think that anyone you suspect is salafi is Palestinian? There are by far more lebanese who are Salafi than Palestinian. This is nothing but racism and a form of white washing that we love to do which is to blame those who's opinions annoy us of being israeli, palestinian, iranian, saudi and i have heard lebanese get "accused" of belonging to other nations as well during an arguement. Lebanese are perfectly fit to be/do whatever stereotype we have against others as we have seen for years and years even before the creation of israel and the influx of refugees. M14 and M8 produce racists instead of thinkers, neither side wants lebanon to progress.

Default-user-icon Batman (Guest) 25 March 2014, 14:49

absolutely true...

Thumb cedre 25 March 2014, 10:02

salafis are one of the last resisting u mean, jaafarini...
They fear Allah, not Nassy or Khamenei...

Thumb cedre 25 March 2014, 10:30

new account ft ?

Thumb Mystic 25 March 2014, 12:50

Mr. President, instead of pointing fingers, you should accept the people simply doesn't want you anymore.

Thumb Mystic 25 March 2014, 12:58

Very typical salafi expression.

Thumb cedre 25 March 2014, 13:07

u poor loser, get a life idiot...

Thumb cedre 25 March 2014, 13:12

u're a total idiot if u think i'm H-D...

Thumb eli-g 25 March 2014, 13:12

Mr. president God bless you. You served your country well. I do not know what else any other person could have done to keep this hag tag of a country together under these circumstances. Honest, patriotic and true Lebanese indeed.

Thumb Mrowwe 25 March 2014, 13:25

This forum is a circus. Grow up you guys who copy each others screen names and avatars and stalk each other like this.

Even if we say pity the nation 100 times an hour, it wont be enough to describe lebanon. Our first, second and third problem is our own mentality. We are not willing to learn nor take responsibility instead we will continue to repeat the same old misstakes and blame others for it over and over again.

Thumb cedre 25 March 2014, 13:28

+1, grow HD & FD...

Thumb cedre 25 March 2014, 13:50

' what do you want me to do? '

nothing, just point it out so we know those are not ur views, like i did when ur childishly copied my avatar...

Missing people-power 26 March 2014, 04:43

Hey Bore, please post a link of this supposed conference you went to on "truth in media". You are a liar and a fake, and I'm sure you won't respond back. You don't even live in Australia.

Thumb souk-el-gharb 25 March 2014, 17:25

cant stand khomeynists pretending to be christians, no honour, no sel-esteem. Just assume u're beliefs/religion...

Thumb souk-el-gharb 25 March 2014, 18:07

fd, are u his boyfriend or something ?

Missing --karim- 26 March 2014, 04:18

Go away Suleiman, enjoy your retirement in Riyadh. Dont forget the Saudi terrorists still consider people like you a "kaffir" (yes, even their puppets).