Salam vows accord with Aoun, stresses need to monopolize arms

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has stressed that “the relation between President Joseph Aoun and the government is governed by consensus for the sake of succeeding in reform and extending sovereignty.”

In an interview with An-Nahar newspaper, Salam also emphasized “the need to monopolize arms in the country,” noting that “this is what was stipulated in the presidential inauguration speech and the Ministerial Statement.”

As for the controversy over Hezbollah’s Raouche Rock activity, Salam said he issued a memo banning the use of public properties and national landmarks in order to “fend off sedition and protect civil peace amid polarization that is engulfing the country.”

Salam reminded that “the country went through an ordeal that was more difficult than the Raouche Rock issue, especially the closure of the airport road, when security agencies intervened and reopened it more than once, and also the armed appearance during Ashoura’s commemorations, when security forces also intervened and arrested the gunmen.”

He added that “the era of armed appearances is over.”