General Michel Aoun:”I will not provide anything from my own pocket.” Talking to An-Nahar: General Aoun demands Six Ministers and the Ministry of Interior.
In an interview published in An-Nahar newspaper on Saturday, the Head of the biggest Christian Bloc and the leader of the free patriotic movement spoke frankly about lot of issues concerning the homeland; from the formation of the cabinet and his demands, to the threats facing Lebanon and his opinion.
As we used to the General, always outspoken and honest, this is a summary of the General’s interview:
The Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said that the formation of the cabinet is affected by broader issues in the Middle East: “All the visits by Western officials to Lebanon are unrelated to the formation of the cabinet; instead they are due to the essential ongoing talks in the Middle East.”
General Aoun called upon the majority to form a national-unity cabinet that will protect Lebanon from threats especially that foreign countries are attempting to facilitate the naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon.
The FPM leader said it is unlikely for the cabinet to be formed by the end of July, as he said more discussions are necessary, unless “they want to form the new government without us being in it, then it will take us only a couple of hours to look at it and read the names”.. Otherwise, more consultations are needed.
“Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri did not propose any cabinet formula to me,” General Aoun said, adding that he has no meeting scheduled with Hariri in the coming period.
Furthermore, General Aoun renewed his insistence on obtaining his share of six ministers at the new government and insisted on the Interior Ministry to be included in his cabinet share because “it needs drastic reform”. He reiterated his demand for the cabinet to be formed based on proportionality, saying that the opposition is entitled to 13 ministers. Adding: "I won't provide anyone with anything from my own pocket," adding," I don't believe the Prime Minister-designate is carrying out any visible activity to form a government."
The Free Patriotic Movement leader added, "Up until now we don't know the number of ministers in the new government, nor do we know how the various government portfolios would be distributed." However, since "All parties participated in the parliamentary elections, why not let every party take its share in the new government according to their gains in parliament," General Aoun said.
Thus, he wondered how this whole process could be done before month's end; but he renewed his calling for a national unity government "to spare Lebanon any dangers."
When asked about the Patriarch’s position concerning his refusal of the concept of a national-unity cabinet, General Aoun answered, “The patriarch does not understand Lebanon’s structure, which is divided into two aspects one political, and the other one sectarian - and the latter should be properly represented in the cabinet.”
General Aoun gave an example of Belgium and Switzerland asking, “Belgium and Switzerland adopted consensus formulas for ruling, why can we not do the same?”
General Aoun stressed on the fact that he has no personal problem with anyone, - talking about the Christian reconciliation - “I disagree politically with them this is normal, but I have no personal enemy and what is happening today is a waste of time”
General Aoun believes Lebanon's problem is Middle Eastern by nature, ending the interview he said "It is not the number of ministers in government that brings in French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner to Lebanon…this is not what brings the Americans, French, Saudi, and Syrians."
“I am a pure middle eastern, and the umbilical cord with the West and Uncle Sam was cut a long time ago especially that their interests are associated with Israel only. They don’t care for Lebanon; on the contrary all they want is for Israel to remove the burden of the population so it can live at ease while we and all of the Middle East will be bothered”
“I want to live in peace with all the components of the region where I reside, and I definitely refuse to move Beirut neither to Washington nor to Tehran. Beirut should stay in Beirut!
tayyar.org - Lebanon News -General Michel Aoun:”I will not provide anything from my own pocket.” Tal 
General Aoun interview with An-Nahar -
26th July 2009
