Lebanese President Michel Aoun said yesterday that he is ready for dialogue with protesters to reach the best solutions to save the country from economic collapse. The need to reconsider the current government reality. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri welcomed President Aoun's call to reconsider the reality of the government amid protests demanding the resignation of the government entered its eighth day.
In a televised speech yesterday, the Lebanese president expressed his readiness to dialogue with the protesters, expressing his readiness to meet with their representatives "to determine the options to reach the best results."
Aoun, in his first comment since the start of the demonstration a week ago, addressed the protesters and demonstrators in all arenas in Lebanon. Your goals without causing collapse, and open a dialogue, dialogue is always the safest way to rescue, and I am waiting for you ».
Aoun called on the demonstrators «to be observers to implement reforms if there is any delay, or procrastination, and the squares at all times open to you».
He called on protesters to open the roads they cut. "Freedom of expression is a respected and reserved right, but also the right of all citizens to move," he said.
He added: «I heard a lot of calls to overthrow the system .. The system, young people are changing in the arenas, it is true our system needs to be developed because it has been paralyzed for years and can not develop itself, but it happens through constitutional institutions».
"Your cry will not be in vain," said Aoun. "All the cries that filled the squares before you were restored, and the freedom, sovereignty and independence of Lebanon were restored."
The Lebanese President stressed that «the scene that we see, confirms that the Lebanese people is a living people, capable of uprising and change, and communicate their voice, but sectarianism has destroyed us, and necks corruption to the bone, and we have left those who brought the country to the abyss without accountability».
He considered that the sectarian mentality «that governed the country is the basis of its problems».
"Whoever stole public money should be held accountable, but it is important that his community does not blindly defend him," he said.
Aoun stressed that "the reform paper that was approved will be the first step to save Lebanon and remove the specter of financial and economic collapse, which is the first achievement of the Lebanese." He added, "but must be accompanied by a set of legislation, because the real fight against corruption is through laws and strict application of the law."
The Lebanese President pointed to the existence of a set of laws proposals in the House of Representatives relating to the establishment of a special court for crimes related to public money, the recovery of state funds, looting bank secrecy of presidents, ministers and deputies, and lifting immunities for current and former ministers and deputies and all those who deal with public money.
He said: «We aspire to a Lebanese state without sectarian equality before everyone», adding that «the President of the Republic after Taif needs the cooperation of the government and parliament to achieve reform».
He added: «I do not seek to evade responsibility, but obstacles are many».
Aoun stressed that "it is necessary to reconsider the current government reality, in order for the executive authority to follow up its responsibilities, and of course through the constitutional principles in force."
For his part, welcomed the Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, yesterday, the call of President Aoun to reconsider the current government reality.
He said on «Twitter»: «I contacted the President of the Republic, and welcomed his call for the need to reconsider the reality of the current government, through the existing constitutional mechanisms».
The protests have continued for the eighth consecutive day in all Lebanese regions, and blocked the protesters since yesterday morning many roads in the capital Beirut and in the south and the Bekaa in eastern Lebanon, and in the north.
Jumblatt calls for speeding up the government reshuffle
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said on Thursday the best solution to ending popular protests sparked by the country's economic crisis was to speed up a government reshuffle, as President Michel Aoun suggested.
"After hearing the speech of President Aoun, since we are in this same boat that is drowning and we share his fear of economic collapse, we find that the best solution is to speed up the government reshuffle and later call for parliamentary elections according to a modern, non-sectarian law," Jumblatt wrote on Twitter. . Reuters
Lebanese resentment of Aoun's speech
Lebanese protesters in the sit-in squares yesterday expressed their dissatisfaction with the speech of Lebanese President Michel Aoun.
Protesters said Aoun's speech was a disregard for their demands from the squares.
"The street was waiting for a bit of hope, but unfortunately Aoun talked about the generalities we have been hearing for three years and have achieved nothing," said Rabah Shahrour, an employee in Beirut.
Jad al-Haj, an engineering student, responded to Aoun's speech by saying: "We want to leave and end this covenant, and leave all of them."
"We mean everyone, the president is one of us," he said in the vernacular. "We are still on the street, and we want to achieve change." Beirut - Beirut