Lebanon preparing for elections “free from foreign intervention”
During the Arab Summit held in Doha on Monday, Lebanon’s President Michel Sleiman said Lebanon was preparing for “free upcoming parliamentary elections that we hope would be held in a democratic and transparent manner, away from foreign intervention.”
Lebanon, he said, was facing “several challenges, such as the still occupied territories, commitment to UNSCR 1701, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the need to attract more Arab investment.”
In addition to his country’s domestic problems, the Lebanese president also addressed the Palestinian cause, which, he said, “we regret that it continues to be one of the invariable issues on the agenda of Arab summits.”
“We remain committed to the Palestinian cause,” he said, but added that the constant tension in the Palestinian arena “worries us.”
“Israel has extended the limits of its criminal aggressions on the Palestinians by depriving them of celebrating cultural activities in Jerusalem.’”
Inter-Arab reconciliation, he said, was an “unrelenting need” that Lebanon has “exerted its best efforts to help achieve.”
However, he added, “it was still at an experimental stage.”
Sleiman also recalled Doha’s assistance to Lebanon last year that helped it “elect a president and form a national unity government,” and the Arab countries “commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative at the Beirut Summit.”