Free patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said no president in lebanon has ever been elected by the Lebanese stressing that foreigners always decided who should be Lebanon’s president .
“Throughout history, no president has been elected by the Lebanese but rather through foreign will”, Aoun said during an interview with MTV on Monday during which he discussed the upcoming presidential election in Lebanon.
Usually the president in Lebanon is elected by a majority of two thirds of the parliament, but Aoun is implying that the MPs’ decisions are usually influenced by foreign powers.
Aoun said he is against renewing president Michel Suleiman’s term and also against political vacuum .
“We’re against extending of renewing the term of the president and we’re against political vacuum. We’re with the election of a new president.”, he said.
Asked about his plans for the presidential election he said :
“We have not consulted with out allies and with Hezbollah over the issue of nominations for the presidency and it’s still early for me to discuss this issue and no one has told me that I’m a candidate.”
It is not clear why he separated between Hezbollah and his allies , specially since he is known to be a stanch ally of the Iranian backed militant group.
Aoun said a figure acceptable to both the Future Movement and Hezbollah will make a good presidential candidate because he will have the ability to bring together the rival parties.
Aoun said he will oppose the nomination of army chief Jean Kahwaji .
Aoun said if elected as next president he will allow Hezbollah to keep its resistance arms until a solution for the Middle East is reached.
Commenting on the link between the events in Syria and the presidential election he said:
“It would be a big mistake to link the fate of the presidential election to the fate of the regime in Syria.”
On Saudi Arabia’s influence in the elections he said :
Saudi Arabia can only influence the MPs who usually heed its instructions. A possible reference to March 14 MPs.
Commenting on the delay in cabinet formation Aoun said that no one has consulted with him over the issue of the cabinet formation process and he has not asked for a specific number of ministers but added
” I don’t think the cabinet will be formed anytime soon and we’re heading to a crisis.”
“A caretaker cabinet is better than a cabinet that cannot win a vote of confidence because the first has the parliament’s confidence.” Aoun stressed.
In response to a question about Bishop at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East Luqa al-Khoury’s call on the Christians to carry arms to defend Syria and its its churches and monasterie. Aoun said he was surprised when he heard Khoury’s statement adding: “I don’t have any militia or arms to fight the rebels in Syria”.
Commenting on Hezbollah’s role in Syria ,he said :”Hezbollah was forced to intervene in Syria.” He did not elaborate , but according to intelligence reports Hezbollah is in Syria on orders by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who is desperately trying to save the Assad regime.
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