Illegitimate arms prevent dialogue progress
Speaking to the Free Lebanon radio station, National Liberal Party leader Dori Chamoun said that the national dialogue would not make any progress while illegitimate arms remained in Lebanese territory. He questioned how the opposition could claim to be aiming to achieve stability and peace, while the flow of weapons and other problems continued.
Chamoun stated that Israel could have eliminated Hamas during its recent three-week assault on the Gaza Strip, while Hamas did not hurt Israel. He questioned how Hamas could claim victory given that large numbers of Palestinians who were killed and wounded.
Tackling the elections issue, he noted that recent discussions about a possible centrist bloc proved that most of the Lebanese people were neutral. He dismissed criticisms of the project by Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun, saying that “Every time MP Michel Aoun loses, he claims that some are preparing a conspiracy against him. He has been manipulated by the Syrian regime, as they used to do with former President Emile Lahoud.” He added that every citizen should cast his vote on the basis of Lebanon’s interests calling on all parties to adopt positive political speeches during the electoral campaign.