Al-Rahi Urges End to Arms Chaos, Rejects 'Settlements at Lebanon's Expense'
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday reiterated his call for the State to put an end to "the proliferation of weapons."
"All weapons must be brought under the control of the army and the (State's) political decision," said al-Rahi in his Sunday Mass sermon.
"The decision to declare war and peace belongs to Cabinet and its two thirds of votes, according to Article 65 of the Constitution. No one else has the right to control that, for the sake of preserving the lives of citizens, civil peace and domestic security," the patriarch added.
And noting that the State's monopoly of arms is part of the "active neutrality" system he has been calling for, al-Rahi stressed that the patriarchate "will no longer accept settlements and bargains at the expense of the essence of the Lebanese entity."
Source: Naharnet
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