Former PMs Condemn Tayyouneh Violence, Urge Immunities Lifting

W460

Former Prime Ministers Fouad Saniora, Saad Hariri and Tammam Salam condemned Friday, in a joint statement, the Tayyouneh clashes and demanded Parliament to "lift immunities" in the port blast case.

They slammed those who "instead of directing all efforts to reforms, are still trying to distract the Lebanese from their tragedies, push them back into their sectarian squares, stir up civil strife, and bring back memories and nightmares of civil war.”

Saniora, Hariri and Salam reiterated “their firm opinion” about “freedom of expression and peaceful protesting” and condemned the use of violence.

They asked for an international or Arab probe in the Beirut port blast, to reach the complete truth instead of getting distracted with “professional negligence issues,” and urged the parliament to quickly issue a constitutional law to lift “immunities of all kinds without any exception.”

The three former PMs went on to say that all “presidential, ministerial, parliamentary, judicial and military immunities should be suspended, in order to achieve a full, non-selective and impartial justice.”

They also stressed on the independence of the judiciary and on full commitment to the constitution, urging President Michel Aoun and the judiciary to respect the constitution and to adhere to it.

The former presidents called on the army and the security forces to take the utmost measures “to prevent all forms of violence, arrest the gunmen who committed the (Tayyouneh) crimes, protect civilians and maintain civil peace.”

They also called on the competent judicial authorities to carry out their duty and impose the necessary penalties on the perpetrators.

SourceNaharnet
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