Salam Declares Support for Syria's Revolution: Cabinet's Mission Is to Hold Elections

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PM-designate Tammam Salam stated on Saturday that heading the new cabinet is a huge responsibility that must be shared “with all those who nominated him”, stressing that his government's role is to carry the parliamentary elections.

The premier-designate also announced his support for the “Syrian people's revolution”, saying that he will voice out his stance in this matter whenever it does not “contradict with Lebanon's interests”.

“Being chosen to head the new cabinet is a huge responsibility but it is not only mine. All those who have named me for premiership share this responsibility,” Salam said in an interview on LBCI television.

Salam expressed: “We hope that consensus between different political factions lasts after the cabinet's formation”.

The premier-designate stressed that the new cabinet's role is focused on holding the parliamentary elections: “What is needed now is a neutral cabinet that carries the parliamentary elections as the polls are very important for Lebanon”.

“We are proud of Lebanon's democracy and this system means rotation of power. This is why elections are a must,” he explained.

He announced that there will be a technical delay of the elections but assured that the parliament's term will not be extended.

Regarding the government, Salam declared that it will be known as the "National Interest Cabinet", adding that he seeks to form a council of ministers whose members are not nominated for parliamentary elections.

“This cabinet's mission is to hold the elections and it will be neutral,” he confirmed, noting that it will abide by the Baabda Declaration.

“ A one-sided cabinet did not succeed in transferring Lebanon into a new stage,” Salam remarked.

“However, we will definitely have a political cabinet after the elections”.

The Beirut MP stated that he is an independent political figure who is allied with March 14: “But today I have a sweeping role and this is a huge responsibility”.

“I will communicate with all parties. No one can impose anything on me and as such, I will not force anything on anyone,” he assured.

“This consensus over nominating me requires that I communicate with all political factions and I am not aware of their stances to extract conclusions”.

Salam expressed that Hizbullah is a major component in Lebanon, asking the party's leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah for support.

He commented on Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat's role in choosing him to head the new cabinet: “This issue is not about names but about how to pull Lebanon out of the crisis and Jumblat is a centrist figure who was able to communicate with all factions. We thank him for this”.

“Speaker Nabih Berri did have an effective and influential role in this respect,” he pointed out.

The Beirut MP revealed that he has received the news about his nomination before meeting with al-Mustaqbal Movement head MP Saad Hariri in the KSA, denying receiving a phone call from Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah congratulating him on becoming the PM-designate.

“I held talks with Prince Bandar bin Sultan to discuss future stages and the KSA played an important role in Lebanon and it supported the country's unity and independence. It always stood by Lebanon's side”.

“I thank ex-PM Hariri who has a dream for this country”.

The presidency announced Salam's election on Saturday after a meeting was held between President Michel Suleiman and Berri, during which the latter was informed by the president of the parliamentary consultations' details.

Salam assumed the position of prime minister on the second day of the binding parliamentary consultations after garnering a total of 124 votes by lawmakers.

Regarding the Syrian conflict and the disassociation policy towards regional events, Salam stressed that his main concern is to shield Lebanon from what is happening in neighboring countries, expressing, however, his support of the “Syrian people's revolution”.

“I am with the Syrian people's revolution and I will not deny it. I will express my support whenever it does not put my country to danger," he stated.

“When officials cling to their positions, then the people become the holders of eligibility and we support their revolution”.

Timeline
  • 06 April 2013, 21:16

    Salam to Syria's President Bashar Assad: When officials cling to their positions, then the people become the holders of eligibility and we support their revolution.

  • 06 April 2013, 21:12

    Salam announced that the new government will be known as the "National Interest Cabinet".

  • 06 April 2013, 21:10

    Salam hoped a new electoral law, other than the 1960, will be adopted.

  • 06 April 2013, 21:10

    Salam: There will be a technical delay of the elections but the parliament's term will not be extended.

  • 06 April 2013, 21:05

    Salam: I am with the Syrian people's revolution and I will not deny it. I will express my support whenever it does not put my country to danger.

  • 06 April 2013, 21:04

    Salam on the disassociation policy towards Syria's conflict: Our duty is to safeguard Lebanon from the neighboring country's war and this is for its best interest.

  • 06 April 2013, 21:03

    Salam on Hizbullah's weapons: We reiterate our calls to direct the arms in a right way and not to use it internally.

  • 06 April 2013, 21:02

    Salam: Our concern is to shield Lebanon from regional events.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:59

    Salam: A one-sided cabinet did not succeed in transferring Lebanon to a new stage.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:58

    Salam: Hizbullah is a major component in Lebanon and we cannot ignore this reality.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:57

    Salam: I am an independent political figure who is allied with March 14 and today I have a sweeping role and this is a huge responsibility.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:53

    Salam: I will communicate with all parties. No one can impose anything on me and as such, I will not force anything on anyone.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:52

    Salam: We all abide by the Baabda Declaration and the new cabinet must not handle more than it should as its mission is to carry the elections.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:51

    Salam: I am not against former ISF chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi becoming the minister of interior. Nothing prevents this if he is qualified for this job.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:49

    Salam: The cabinet's job is to hold the elections. We must focus on this mission and later discuss its composition.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:44

    Salam: We will definitely have a political cabinet after the elections.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:43

    Salam: I seek to form a cabinet whose members are not nominated for the parliamentary elections.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:43

    Salam: We are proud of Lebanon's democracy and this system means rotation of power. This is why elections are a must.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:42

    Salam: What is needed now is a neutral cabinet that carries the parliamentary elections as the polls are very important for Lebanon.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:42

    Salam: This consensus over nominating me requires that I communicate with all political factions and I am not aware of their stances to extract conclusions.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:40

    Salam: I held talks with Prince Bandar bin Sultan to discuss future stages and the KSA played an important role in Lebanon and it supported the country's unity and independence. It always stood by Lebanon's side.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:38

    Salam: I do not promise anyone anything and I have received the news about my nomination before meeting with al-Mustaqbal Movement head MP Saad Hariri in KSA.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:37

    Salam: I did not receive a phone call from Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to congratulate me on becoming the PM-designate.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:37

    Salam: Speaker Nabih Berri did have an effective and influential role.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:36

    Salam on Marada Movement leader MP Franjieh boycotting the parliamentary consultations: This is his choice and he might have reasons that I am not aware of. I do not know why he rejected to nominate me.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:32

    Salam on his name being picked by PSP leader MP Jumblat: It is not about names but about how to pull Lebanon out of the crisis and Jumblat is a centrist figure that was able to communicate with all factions. We thank him for this.

  • 06 April 2013, 20:31

    PM-Designate Tammam Salam in an Interview on LBCI: Being chosen to head the new cabinet is a huge responsibility but it is not only mine. We all share this responsibility. I hope the consensus over the cabinet and its formation lasts.

Comments 15
Thumb benzona 06 April 2013, 22:06

Clown = Michel Awn.
Assassin Chabiha = Hassan Nasrallah

And there rest (including the above) are thieves and/or ex murderers.

Thumb lebanon_first 06 April 2013, 22:23

Good centrist speech. The only line of speech that could work now. It would be unwise to make HA's weapons the central issue, and to stop the government until they return weapons. We have way more urgent issues to deal with. In time, geopolitics will change, the wheel will turn, and the weapons will cease to exist, without years of arguing and war.
For those who dont believe the extent of the wheel turn, remember that less than 10 years ago Assad's army was in Jounieh. Today that criminal's army is not even controlling Raqa.

Thumb primesuspect 06 April 2013, 23:27

¡Viva la revolución en Siria. Viva la democracia, viva Líbano y Tammam Salam !

Thumb cityboy 07 April 2013, 01:03

Very well, he is entitled to support a syrian revolution, even I would support it if it were truelly a nation wide peoples revoltion, not a western imposed plan to have a bunch midevil lunatic wahabi trolls run the country. Someone should have asked him if he would a support a revoltion in qatar and saudi, now that speak volumes.

Thumb habib 07 April 2013, 01:52

Alla y7me weyawwi sade2 rasin kaffo abyad watani bi emtiyaz rajol lmonaseb bel makan welwa2tel monaseb

Missing cedars 07 April 2013, 03:25

I will repeat again and again, keep an eye on the car bombs that will continue to target/assassinate our Lebanese officials. The killing machine will not stop until the wheel turns.

Thumb wenger 07 April 2013, 06:55

yahya it is people like you that should be hanged in a public square, ppl that automaticly assume that ur in hand with the devil if ur politically against them, and ppl that considers atheists and opposite religions in the same group as thieves and criminals. u r a disgrace and the perfect example of ignorance

Thumb wenger 07 April 2013, 07:22

wooow i ddt know that !! of corse i assume u r so highly placed that u had a peak at this contract for u to share this exclusive mind blowing scoop...wouldn't wanna think this is a result of ur intensive political analysis and the deduction of ur superior intelligence coz then i wonder who would look like a dummie...

Thumb wenger 07 April 2013, 07:26

another mind blowing scoop !!!! courtesy of this fine's man hacking skills...i am a fan

Thumb wenger 07 April 2013, 09:48

so ur a brain hacker and a psychologist ! hahahaha so its these skills and intuition that allowed u to uncover the grand scheme of the 150 000 soldiers contract...wow ! ur right i am boiling and of corse i am jealous ! who wouldn't be ? ur like a master psychic having fun hacking brains and uncovering identities!

Missing rambo1 07 April 2013, 08:40

Hey josh,screw the Baath & screw Assad.

Thumb lebanon_first 07 April 2013, 08:51

Yahya.
1- Lebanon's democracy is around a century old while other people like France and the US are a bit over 2centuries old. Some democracies like Spain are less old than Lebanon. So what?
2- True Lebanon was formed by Sykes picot. But most european countries were formed by Vienna's congress', yalta, Westphalia etc... so what?
3-Most Islamic countries people are moderate, they crave having a decent job, a family and a home.
4- lebanon's society is not destroyed. Most people are examplar fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. They are balanced, no honor crimes and no throwing their parents in nursing homes.
5- your mujahideen are mercenaries that Qatari paid. They are losers who couldn't find a job. Soon Qatar will fall and the mujahideen will cease to exist.
6- it is spring. Enjoy life instead of simmering in hatred for non Sunnis.

Thumb barbar 07 April 2013, 10:20

Good that we finally have a moderate PM, which is actually what we needed. Hopefully his cabinet will be appointed not because of their connections but because of their credentials for once.

Default-user-icon John Marina (Guest) 07 April 2013, 12:18

This guy should declare Lebanon's complete neutrality in Syria's war. By choosing sides he is putting Lebanon in trouble, perhaps he received a hefty payment from the CIA etc. like the other Arabs.

Thumb jabal10452 07 April 2013, 12:23

I am very worried about his safety. I hope that he is careful and well protected.