Suleiman Warns of 'Vengeance' Scenario, Does not Regret Stance from Hizbullah
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
President Michel Suleiman has expressed fears that a top member of either the March 8 or 14 alliance would use his power in the country's top Christian post to take vengeance from his foes if he was elected president.
In an interview with As Safir newspaper published on Tuesday, Suleiman said: “I am afraid that one of them could come into office so that he takes vengeance from the others.”
“I don't care about the consensual candidate … He could be committed at first but could exercise” something else, the president, who leaves Baabda Palace after the expiry of his term on Sunday, said.
“Most candidates are competent and (Free Patriotic Movement leader) Michel Aoun is one of them,” Suleiman told As Safir. But he expressed fear of “collision” between the rival parties when he was asked if he backed any of the top Maronite political leaders.
Under the National Pact of 1943, the president should be a Maronite.
Parliament has failed to elect a new president in the past four rounds of polls over the boycott of the March 8 alliance, which claims there should be a prior agreement on a consensual president.
Aoun, who is a member of the alliance and has not officially announced his candidacy, has considered himself a consensual candidate.
But his rival Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea - the March 14 camp's sole candidate - mocked Aoun's claims on Monday, saying his alliance with Hizbullah does not make him a consensual president.
A new round of elections is set to take place on Thursday, a few days before the expiry of Suleiman's six-year tenure.
The president told As Safir in the interview that he did not regret his repeated calls on Hizbullah to pull its fighters from Syria.
“They should be the ones regretting, not me,” he said about Hizbullah's lack of commitment to the Baabda Declaration under which the rival sides, including the party, pledged in 2012 to distance Lebanon from the region's crises.
Ties between Suleiman and Hizbullah deteriorated in the past months over the party's involvement in Syria's civil war.
Suleiman also stressed that he has never verbally attacked Syria.
“I was once asked about (former Minister) Michel Samaha's case and I said I am waiting for a phone call from President (Bashar) Assad to explain the situation to me,” Suleiman told his interviewer.
Samaha, who is considered close to the Syrian regime, is on trial for planning attacks in Lebanon along with two Syrian officials.
G.K.
H.K.
20 May 2014, 08:27
06
Peace and prosperity will be reached when our love to our children will win from our hate to our ennemies.
20 May 2014, 09:22
38
Mr President the only one's that practice 'Vengeance', are the militia Thugs. No matter who is President, anyone opposed to Hizbullah or their partner Assad, ends up assassinated (by the Israelis no doubt).
20 May 2014, 09:33
82
In the last three months of his presidency-by-parachute, our good-for-nothing two-faced corrupt El Presidente discovered something he never knew existed! 6 years = 72 months (give or take a few, March 14 miscalculators). 3/72 = 4.167% this wejo awsakh men afeh is genuine. yalla tda7raj. alla yel3an haydik el se3a
20 May 2014, 09:42
47
karim... you won the price for the most retarded commentator on this forum. You see Saudis everywhere, you're pathetic!
20 May 2014, 11:35
25
Mr. President, why should Hizb regret anything? After all, it's not going to be them who will pay the price for their transgressions, but the rest of us. Hizb have made clear that their slogan is "Power without accountability, Authority without responsibility".
20 May 2014, 11:39
33
if you want, give me your phone nb I will call you give you my address , my name , and all you need to know
20 May 2014, 12:34
78
Mr. President, thank you and a big thank you. We are proud of you Sir, we are thankful to you Sir. Our times are very difficult indeed, and the decisions you took are under no circumstances easy ones. As a real man, you stood the test of times, you took the blows from both M14 then, and now from M8. I am one who dearly wished that you stayed because so far, no one is capable of filling your shoes, but know it Sir, that you leave Baabda holding your head high. Let just one of your critics, be it M14 or M8 aspire to being as clean as the dust coming from your shoe, the truth is that none can. God bless you Mr. President, you gave our presidency something that was long lost, till you came, Dignity. My respects Sir.
20 May 2014, 12:58
73
Alfinik the camel fly again. Shou fi shi heyk 3andak ye jdid gheyr te2ledak?
20 May 2014, 13:06
67
(1). Roar ya Roar, are you trying to tell us that Suleiman was begging for an appointment with hezbollah? walaw ya Roar who told you that? Suleiman is trying to build bridges, not destroy them. Hezbollah is the one destroying bridges creating civil strife everywhere. You know bro, I have always respected your views and by the same token I know that like all M8ers, you dislike Suleiman, but at the end of the day, the line that divides truth from fallacy is but a thin one.
20 May 2014, 13:06
57
(2). Roar. FYI, I also know that you love your country Lebanon and that you would dearly love to visit once in a while, but let me be honest with you, people like me are mighty worried that after Suleiman leaves, if God forbids a million times, if people like Aoun or Frangieh become president, then bye bye Lebanon, in your next visit, you will be greeted by Syrian officials and your luggage confiscated simply because you had a kangaroo plush you brought as a gift for a niece or nephew. Lebanon will cease to exist. Feel free to bet me on that.
20 May 2014, 17:35
15
Ocker, i'm so happy u dont consider lebanon ur country.
No need to visit it, just stay in Strathfield with ur knacker mates...
20 May 2014, 18:42
12
Unlike u, i know who i am, where i come from and where i'm going.
Unlike u, I speak and read arabic, and visit my country every year.
U can call australia home, locals will always call u a wog.
20 May 2014, 18:02
00
we all know that Hezbollah goal and objective is to make all Christians irrelevant in Lebanon and the middle east . look what happened to the Christians in Iran their presents is equal to dirt and I'm sure Hezbollah has the same plan for us in Lebanon . oh someone said Aoun is their ally ? who said Aoun is a christian ? you need to be a christian in heart and sole and Aoun is not
20 May 2014, 22:16
00
@Mr. President Suleiman: sir, your mission was difficult if not near impossible. They put you in the rink with one hand tied behind your back and between two Parties fighting to eliminate one another in their quest for power and greed instead of serving Lebanon which should have been their sworn mission #1. That said, I cannot be more proud of a president who served like a true statesman and with dignity and respect. Thank you sir, I will never forget your service and forever will be grateful. Best wishes to you and your family!
09 July 2014, 03:22
00
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