MP Michel Aoun following Change and Reform bloc's weekly meeting assured that Referring to Beirut is best to form the government, which it should be formed based on proportional representation that guarantees proper representation.
The Leader of the Free Patriotic Movement and the head of the C&R Bloc said, “Official authorities took part in the elections and their governmental share should be based on their gains in those elections.”
This a summary of what he said during the press conference:
MP Michel Aoun said that the president of the republic could have a share in a new government based on the size of parliamentary representation and renewed demands for proportional distribution.
"A proportional government will provide real representation, consolidate national unity, and strengthen the cabinet and its head," Aoun said after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform bloc.
General Aoun stressed on the fact that the veto power does not exist anymore, but proportional representation. Adding that no one has the right to say the interior ministry belongs to this person or that so and so want the ministry of defense or foreign affairs. Such an approach, he said, was a "form of opportunism not of governance."
General Aoun dismissed all "claims" that the minority was trying to "cripple" the process of forming a government. "Those who impose conditions are the ones that hinder the shape-up. External sides are the ones being disruptive," Aoun said.
"The government's shape-up is 'Lebanonized' through our own behavior, because the Arab leaders are not the ones in disagreement over formulas and they are not the ones who will meet to allocate an extra seat," he added. "We are the ones who should take full responsibility in the formation of the cabinet, and not the outside powers."
The head of the Free Patriotic Movement said a recent meeting between Telecoms Minister Gebran Bassil and Premier-designate Saad Hariri "tackled general matters in a positive atmosphere for both sides." About the elections, he said that he has challenged the victory of Michel Murr and Sami Gemayel in the polls.
On foreign affairs, General Aoun said that the US policy has not really changed; its face has just changed from Bush to Obama. General Aoun criticized the U.N. chief for describing Lebanon's complaints of Israeli espionage cells as "claims." Aoun said the secretary general's remarks were "insulting to the Lebanese government." "We reject this. It is not right that our words are described as claims and theirs as certified facts," Aoun added
Answering a question on what the opposition would have done if it was her who won the majority, he said that no one would have the guts to negotiate their decision and that they would have called the minority to see what they want. "Actually, we said that before the election" general Aoun added.
“I am not affected by the outside and I can find a solution to all my internal conflicts. Of course, things will be much smoother if a Saudi-Syrian agreement happened and then we would like to ask the Arabs to show us their solidarity and explain to us on what they have agreed.” He added that he feels that he is close to Saad Hariri more than any Arab or foreign person, even if he was a friend. We are partners in the responsibility and the political competition has ended. We have to face all the problems that we are going to face over the next four years and we cannot go to people from outside Lebanon at every moment to appeal to them."
He sum up talking about this relationship with Hariri “It is like a conjugal relationship where the couple cannot always go their parents or friends and family to solve their problem, rather they should rely on themselves to solve their problems; and the same applies to our relations in the home country, we must be able to solve our problems ourselves, without the need for outside intervention.”
http://english.tayyar.org
GMA's Press Conference after the C&R bloc meeting (08/07/2009) -
8th July 2009
