Report: Aoun Won't Budge on Presidential Crisis
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
A Free Patriotic Movement official has said that MP Michel Aoun rejected an offer made by Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat to pull his candidacy for the presidency in favor of a compromise candidate.
The official, who was not identified, told al-Akhbar newspaper published on Thursday that Jumblat proposed to FPM chief Aoun to end his presidential bid and agree with the rest of the factions on a consensual candidate.
Aoun refused but was unable to convince the PSP leader, who is also a lawmaker, with his point of view, the official said.
Jumblat visited Aoun in Rabieh on Wednesday upon the advice of Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
A joint statement issued described their meeting as “frank and friendly.”
The talks “focused on several issues, mainly Lebanon's battle with terrorism,” it said.
Aoun and Jumblat “stressed unconditional and absolute support to the Lebanese army,” and discussed ways to confront the growing challenges, including the activation of constitutional institutions and the speedy election of a president.
The two lawmakers, who head parliamentary blocs, also discussed the importance of keeping contacts between the PSP and the FPM to bring the Lebanese closer, the statement said.
Change and Reform bloc MP Alain Aoun told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Thursday that the Rabieh meeting broke the ice between Aoun and Jumblat.
Another member of Aoun's bloc, lawmaker Naji Gharious, said despite the differences between the two parties, “Jumblat is not our enemy. He is a political foe.”
“Any meeting between two officials is good even if they don't agree on certain issues,” he told al-Joumhouria newspaper.
Asked if Jumblat's meeting was aimed at pulling out the candidacy of Jumblat-backed MP Henri Helou, Gharious said: “I don't have information in that regard.”
In his turn, PSP spokesman Rami Rayyes said Jumblat visited Aoun because he felt the dangers threatening the country.
He did not comment on the talks that focused on the presidential deadlock.
Lebanon has been without a president since May 25 when Michel Suleiman's six-year term ended amid a failure by parliament to elect a successor over differences on a compromise candidate.
Jumblat, a centrist, has backed Helou. The March 14 alliance has thrown its weight behind Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, and the Hizbullah-led March 8 camp has supported Aoun although he has not officially announced his candidacy.
Change and Reform bloc lawmakers and the majority of the March 8 MPs have boycotted several rounds of parliamentary sessions aimed at electing a president, causing a lack of quorum.
G.K.
H.K.
07 August 2014, 08:22
310
ya general lebnan al 3azeem
you pretend to represent the majority of the christians in Lebanon, so for once in your life do something good for them and not for your pocket or your family's, tell your deputies to go and vote for a president asap be it you or any of your favorites!!!
the christians and most of the lebanese are fed up of your scare tactics and your stubborn obstruction to any compromise solution.
with your selfish and foolish actions you are taking the country down the political and economical bankruptcy needless to say the 3ersal da3esh episode should be a wake up call for you and all those so called "christian representatives"; if you continue down this path you will have no one left in the country to represent anymore.
07 August 2014, 08:39
39
The illusions and delusions of the presidency will continue to haunt him.
07 August 2014, 08:41
310
the two least respected politicians in Lebanon's modern history
07 August 2014, 10:19
35
"Unless you vote for me, I'll keep boycotting the electoral session, and I won't let anyone else but me be put to vote"
And you really want a person with those principals to lead a republic of democracy and Law?
07 August 2014, 14:27
22
OK FT, et me rephrase my comment so as to not be accused of making up stuff. Here goes:
My take on Aoun's position, actions and comment to date is that he is basically serving us with the following ultimatum: "Unless you vote for me, I'll keep boycotting the electoral sessions, and I won't let anyone else but me be put to vote"
And you really want a person with those principles to lead a republic of democracy and law?
07 August 2014, 15:28
01
It is not the same thing FT. M14 have a delegate and want parliament to vote on him. They show up for the vote and M8 doesn't. If it was the other way around, I wouldn't hesitate a minute in condemning M14 ( and I do it on a regular basis, btw). Geagea is not a candidate that I support for president, but I wouldn't accept blocking the democratic process in order not to have him elected. Like Churchill once said : “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”
07 August 2014, 09:44
46
he can hardly stand up ... but he still have hope... based on the fact that bourguiba suffering from stroke and being paralysed is presiding algeria.... so he belive he has time..... algeria by the way is one of the providers of salafists in the world.. let alone being one of the instability factor in france....
07 August 2014, 20:02
20
The while Middle East is falling apart and Maliki, Assad and Aoun are attached to power like glue!!! It may well be fitting since they are part of the same axis.
07 August 2014, 09:58
37
5erfen ma baddo yzi7 la 7adan.. allah ychilo 3an Lebnen el habib
07 August 2014, 10:03
38
So if I understand things correctly, every party is prepared to compromise on a candidate except HA and aoun. Hmm no wonder he cannot look jumblot in the eye. Tfeh 3ala hayk ness.
07 August 2014, 10:59
34
sadly but honestly i don't blame him bc he does have a part of idiotic christian population who believe him to be the savior. blind to all facts, realities and incidents since 2005
it just really makes me sad that the majority of people whom i protested, sang and distributed brochures with where not really seeking the three ideals we look for today among which Freedom is the first
so we have ourselves to blame for being stuck in M14-M8 rhetoric whilst teh focus should have always been Lebanon
i hope kahwaji makes it, by the next elections cukoo will be dead and the fpm vultures wont agree on a leader
07 August 2014, 13:53
34
You are ignoring the fact that the boycot is preventing democracy and plurality of opinions.
07 August 2014, 15:50
13
It is not like that Roar. Aoun is saying that he won't nominate himself unless there is consensus on him, I.e. unless M14 agrees to support him. Until then he and his allies will keep the democratic process ground to a halt by boycotting electoral sessions. That's effectively blackmail and a gross abuse of democracy. In other democracies, it punishable by law, yet it is perfectly legal in our country. Legal yes, but ethical, I think not.
07 August 2014, 16:50
11
I don't support the nomination of Geagea, FT. You are fully aware of it. But that's not the point, isn't it?
07 August 2014, 17:41
13
Baynetna, here we are debating politics while da3esh just walked through our back door, aiming to put us all to the sword unless we convert their lovely brand of Islam... I fear that all these discussions will soon become irrelevant.
07 August 2014, 20:40
33
18/04/1989 بري: لن نقبل برئيس ماروني بعد الآن
30/06/1989 حزب الله يعلن الولاء المطلق لآية الله السيد علي خامنئي
01/09/1989 حزب الله يعلن حرب مفتوحة مع الموارنة معتبرا حملة عون على سوريا هي حملة لابادة المسلمين
21/09/1989 حزب الله : نرفض رئيسا مارونيا ونرفض الذل تحت اسم التعايش مع النصارى
13/10/1989 حزب الله : سنمزق اتفاق الطائف
20/10/1989 بري: غير معنيين بالطائف والقبول به خيانة
12/11/1989 حزب الله: الطائف استسلام للمارونية السياسية واسرائيل
07 August 2014, 20:47
21
No problem, let the lawmakers amend the constitution to allow for such a vote and let the chips fall where they may. I am all for it and for the last time I am not a part of the M14 looser club or the M8 terrorist club. I want legal processes and not innuendo elections than can later be questioned as unconstitutional. Your tactics of accusing me of being scared does not make your version of a landslide victory the truth either. I know how your ilk dodge, deflect and debate and I am here to tell you it doesn't work on me. Besides, your ilk are already enslaving and oppressing us at gunpoint, what do I have to loose if your army defector becomes president? NOTHING is what!
08 August 2014, 00:54
20
في خضم الأحداث في لبنان تبرز مشكلة اسمها اتفاق الطائف، ومشكلة اسمها ميشال عون وليس صحيحاً أن من يرفض اتفاق الطائف هو مع ميشال عون. إن اتفاق الطائف مشكلة لأنه يكرس النظام الطائفي
الماروني ولا إصلاحات، بل زيادة في عدد النواب، وقد أعطيت صلاحيات لمجلس الوزراء وبقي رئيس الجمهورية القائد الأعلى. أما أن ميشال عون مشكلة، فلأنه حالة إسرائيلية صدامية وتدميرية ولا يرى إلا مصالحه الشخصية ومصالح طائفته. فهو النهج الماروني العنصري في الشرقية
حسن نصرالله
