GMA's Press Conference After the C&R Bloc Meeting (21/10/2009)

[TayyaRevolution]

Aoun demands five portfolios for Change and Reform bloc

October 21, 2009

Change and Reform Bloc leader MP Michel Aoun spoke Wednesday after the weekly meeting of his bloc, announcing “that we want to maintain our current portfolios and demand a fifth one since our parliamentary bloc’s size has increased from 21 MPs to 27.”

According to him, Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Franjieh agreed to accept a state ministry because he believed it would resolve the cabinet impasse, but Aoun added that “the obstacle [to the cabinet formation] lies with all the ministries.”

Aoun said that he agreed with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to keep secret the contents of their recent meetings, but he added that they have not discussed “portfolios and the names of prospective ministers.”

“It seems the cabinet is being formed without our knowledge,” he added.

He also said that none of the agreements reached with Hariri were implemented. “We discussed the concept of swapping portfolios, but alternatives proposals were not accepted,” he stated.

“They [majority] refuse to adopt the concept of proportionality and equal distribution of key ministries, and when they proposed the concept of swapping portfolios, we accepted. But it appears it is only applied to us,” Aoun added.

Aoun struck a defiant tone on the cabinet-formation process, saying that “we will not allow anyone, no matter how high his position, to stop us from being granted any ministry” and “we have the right to participate in all public sectors.”

“We have not made and will not make any concessions without [receiving anything] in return,” he added.

Aoun also spoke about Hariri’s role as PM-designate and said that “Hariri is responsible for the outcome of the cabinet-formation process,” adding, “I hold Hariri’s allies responsible for the cabinet formation as well.”

He criticized the state of government in Lebanon, starting with the finance ministry, which he accused the Future Movement of managing incompetently, and said “there is a monopolization of sovereign ministries because we cannot be granted the finance ministry.”

He also asked for clarifications about rumors that Lebanon’s public debt has risen to 56 billion L.L.

Aoun also slammed security institutions, calling them “100% politicized and not in good condition,” and saying they “need revamping.” He added that “many cases were dropped over time without proper investigation, and many prisoners, who have served their sentences, are still not released under the pretext that there is no money for their deportation.”

He defended the work of ministries held by the Change and Reform bloc, saying that “it is shameful that Lebanon First bloc MPs Atef Majdalani and Hadi Hobeich are attacking someone who succeeded in a ministry and was defeated in parliamentary elections,” a reference to Telecommunications Minister Gebran Bassil.

“We should either implement reforms throughout the institutions, or the state will never progress,” Aoun declared.

-NOW Lebanon

[TayyaRevolution]

General Aoun: It seems they're forming the cabinet without our knowledge!

Free Patriotic Movement leader, General Michel Aoun, speaks after the Change and Reform bloc meeting:

- Everyone thought the cabinet is nearly formed, and I had no idea! seems like it is being formed without our knowledge.

- I agreed with PM-designate Hariri that whatever we discuss in the meetings, stays in the meeting and away from the media.

- We talked about the rotation of ministries, it turned out to be applicable only to us.

- We were checking where we could enter, since we discovered that there are some ministries and committees that are forbidden to us.

- Because every party will hold on to its previous portfolios, I announce that we want to maintain our current portfolios and demand a fifth one since our parliamentary bloc’s size has increased.

- We request a ministerial portfolio for Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Franjieh, even though the latter accepted to be granted a state ministry.

- Security in the country is politicized but Minister Baroud has nothing to do with it.

- We do not approve of the financial management especially since Future Movement handled the Finance ministry.

- We do not see that the proposals presented to us match the ideas we discussed with PM-designate Hariri.

- We are concerned about rumours of Lebanon’s treasury being in debt of 6 billion L.L and making the public debt rise to 56 billion L.L. We hope that someone will correct the information.

- Significant scandals in the Directorate General of Personal Status must be investigated. Such mistakes should not be done.

- They don't want to apply the same measures for all parties, and we have made enough compromises.

- We had the right to get 6 + ministers.

- Rabieh can't be invaded, and we're in a good health and totally relaxed.

- There's a big lobby against us in the US and MP Walid Khoury is there to explain our poitn of view and way of thinking.

- PM-designate Hariri is responsible for the situation and it all depends on whether he will submit to his allies' obstructions or not.


tayyar.org

[shevchenco]

Originally Posted by Danny Z

Are you the one uploading this? what are your channels I want to subcribe to them but i have no idea under what use ID you upload to youtube

yes. from now on, OTV news videos will be uploaded to OTV's official channel: youtube.com/otvlebanon

news from new tv and other stations ( in addition to entertainment shows from OTV) will be uploaded to youtube.com/vcoderzdotcom

(I also upload videos to other channels but they're purely random non-political channels )

[Shah Massoud]

GMA always manages to put himself in the spotlights......whether u like him or not , no one can deny that he has been the dynamo for the political scene in lebanon on a daily basis since 2005

[Shuyu3i]

Originally Posted by Shah Massoud

GMA always manages to put himself in the spotlights......whether u like him or not , no one can deny that he has been the dynamo for the political scene in lebanon on a daily basis since 2005

You mean since the 80's.

[Shah Massoud]

Originally Posted by Shuyu3i

You mean since the 80's.

yes , but since 2005 , HE IS the daily news .....take off his name , his stances or people bashing him from the newspapers and u will end up with only the sports and "waffyet" pages