Gemayel Says Aoun Lost Flexibility After Consulting Allies
Former President Amin Gemayel hinted that the Hizbullah-led opposition had planned for Sunday”s riots which left eight people killed and said Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun has lost “flexibility” after consulting his allies.
The protests “were intentional, particularly after some opposition leaders like Gen. Michel Aoun did not hide their intention to resort to the street,” Gemayel told the Saudi daily Al Madina in an interview published Friday.
Gemayel said the FPM leader has openly suggested resorting to street protests if the opposition failed to get veto power in the future cabinet.
About a meeting between him, Aoun and MP Saad Hariri held in the presence of Arab League chief Amr Moussa last month, Gemayel said: The talks were “the result of efforts by the Arab League. We cooperated with it to find a solution to the crisis but it became clear from Gen. Michel Aoun”s speech that the opposition was proposing conditions that are impossible to meet and that contradict with the Arab League initiative.”
“There was some flexibility from Gen. Aoun”s behalf….but when he consulted his March 8 allies….he again objected” to Moussa”s proposal that the opposition and the majority should respectively not get more than 10 and 15 ministers in the future 30-member cabinet.
The opposition “has taken us back to the starting point. That”s why the ball is not in our court anymore,” Gemayel told Al Madina.
A three-point Arab plan has called for the election of Army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman head of state, the formation of a national unity government in which no one party has veto power and the adoption of a new electoral law.
Gemayel said that Moussa, who is trying to bring the views of bickering politicians closer to elect Suleiman as a consensus candidate, is planning to visit Lebanon only when “time is ripe.”
The Phalange party leader also did not rule out future incidents similar to Sunday”s street violence.
He held the opposition responsible for the bloodshed after what he said anti-government statements led to an escalation of the Lebanese crisis.
When asked if he thought the riots aimed at dropping Suleiman”s candidacy for the presidency, Gemayel said: “Possibly” because “it seems that some opposition members are against Michel Suleiman”s candidacy.”
Gemayel also accused Hizbullah”s backers Syria and Iran of obstructing efforts to find a way out of the Lebanese crisis.
“I think some countries are conducting dialogue which is probably hindering a solution. Let us not forget that Hizbullah doesn”t deny its good relations and its alliance with Syria and Iran,” the former president told Al Madina.