Aoun for Changing Lebanon to a Presidential Republic

 

Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun said Monday he supports changing Lebanon into a presidential republic allowing the people to elect the president directly without going through parliament.

 

In a statement to reporters after a meeting by his Change and Reform Parliamentary bloc, Aoun also said he supports the formation of a neutral government to organize parliamentary elections.

 

Aoun reiterated in his statement that the opposition is “not afraid of war”.

 

“No one can threaten us or try to scare us, for there is no bigger war than the July War,” Aoun told reporters.

He also said that attempts at dialogue in Lebanon have been resulting in disasters.

 

“The first national-dialogue roundtable brought the July War, the second roundtable brought the Special Tribunal, and God knows what a third one will bring,” he said.

Aoun attacked al-Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri saying: “If Hariri does not want to meet me, I too don”t want to meet him. But this is not a love affair; there are issues that should be tackled.”

 

Aoun said he is committed to a 10+10+10 power-sharing formula in any forthcoming government, stressing that any party should not get more than one third of the cabinet seats.

 

He stressed on his opposition to the naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon.