President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met Major General Jamil El-Sayed, today at the Presidential Palace.
Current political developments, the post-parliamentary elections phase, and the security situation in the Baalbek-Hermel region were deliberated in the meeting.
Statement:
After the meeting, MP Al-Sayed made the following statement:
“I was honored to meet His Excellency the President. We discussed the issue of the aftermath of the elections and I thanked him for the effort he and the Cabinet made to hold the elections on time, despite all the negatives related to the law itself and the ugly conditions that accompanied it, especially financial bribery and other matters, but in the current state of the country, holding elections remains better than postponing, whatever the loopholes.
We also addressed the security situation in the Baalbek-Hermel region, especially in the Baalbek region, after the tragic accident that resulted in two deaths. Regardless of our always encouraging local reconciliations, which we are accustomed to in the region, but I insisted on His Excellency the President that the Lebanese army and security forces be more ready and present on the ground than ever before, in order to avoid the escalation of the matter and the occurrence of sedition between sects.
We also briefly discussed the economic recovery plan, and I explained to His Excellency the President the major gaps in it, especially as it comes in tragic financial and economic living conditions, and my permanent view is that people are the basis, not numbers. When good people are present, there are solutions, and when bad people continue, solutions fall even if it rains gold.
Regarding the post-election benefits related to the presidency of the Council and the Cabinet, and then the Presidency of the Republic, and regardless of the elections for the presidency of the Parliament and its course, which I will talk about later, I discussed with His Excellency the formation of the government in light of what is currently circulating about the possibility of a caretaker government that will continue which is the government of Prime Minister Mikati until the end of the term, with what goes along with this of the wear and tear of the country in all respects.
In my view, the continuation of the caretaker government until the presidential elections is a conspiracy against the people before it is a conspiracy against the president and the presidential term, because the people need a government to manage their affairs. In this regard, I had an opinion that His Excellency the President may take or not, and that it is constitutional, and in the event that a maneuver not to form a government actually took place, His Excellency the President may not hand over the powers of the presidency to a caretaker government at the end of his term, because the powers of the presidency are not covered by a caretaker cabinet.
In my opinion, His Excellency the President cannot leave and hand his powers over to a caretaker cabinet that does not have constitutional powers by itself and cannot, therefore, inherit the constitutional powers of His Excellency the President”.
Bishop Soueif:
The President Aoun received the Maronite Archdiocese of Tripoli, Archbishop Youssef Soueif.
Archbishop Soueif thanked President Aoun for the sympathy of the parishioners and the Abu Jaoudeh family on the death of the former pastor of the Archdiocese, the late Archbishop George Abu Jaoudeh, and awarding him a medal in appreciation of his contributions.
Archbishop Soueif also discussed with President Aoun the diocese’s conditions and needs, educational issues and the difficult conditions that educational institutions and schools are going through, and the need to address them in order to preserve its educational and national role.
Archbishop Haddad:
President Aoun met the Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop of Sidon and Deir el-Qamar, Archbishop Elie Haddad, accompanied by the Mayor of Karkha, Mr. Jean Nakhleh, parish priest, Father Walid Al-Deek and Mayor Anwar Nassura.
During the meeting, Archbishop Haddad invited the President to attend the inauguration ceremony of the shrine of Saint John the Baptist in the town of Karkha, Jezzine district, in the presence of the Roman Catholic Patriarch, Youssef Al-Absi, on Saturday 4 June at 6:00 pm.
The situation of the Diocese of Sidon and Deir al-Qamar and its needs was discussed, in addition to spiritual and social affairs.
Source: National News Agency
