NLP Supports President, Government and Proposal for Constitutional Amendment
The National Liberal Party (NLP) Friday confirmed its faith in the Lebanese president and cabinet, and specifically the interior minister, and in their desire to normalize relations with Syria.
The statement comes before the next cabinet meeting on Saturday, during which Interior Minister Ziad Baroud’s recent visit to Damascus is to be discussed.
The NLP warned against allowing Lebanon a “gradual slide under the weight of intimidation practiced by the Syrian regime” whilst the formation diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria was underway, pending the exchange of ambassadors and the abolition of the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council.
After the party’s weekly meeting, chaired by Dory Chamoun, the NLP said it regretted that Syrian intervention was facilitated by “the complicity of parties in Lebanon at the expense of their nation.”
The party said it could at best accept the discussion of Lebanese relations, “which are always in crisis due to Damascus,” through temporary joint committees that were subjugate to national institutions and through the cabinet.
The National Liberal Party also said it welcomed the UN-based conference on inter-faith dialogue and praised Saudi King Abdullah II and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for their efforts.
The NLP statement said the party supported a constitutional amendment proposal in which 11 MPs of the March 14 alliance suggested an article to forbid naturalization of Palestinians or concession of any Lebanese territory. The party also supported article 79 of the Lebanese constitution, which calls for the entire parliament to assemble to pass any amendments on the issue of Palestinian resettlement.