Sleiman urges security forces to stay away from politics during elections
President Michel Sleiman said on Friday that security was a vital requirement for the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for June 7.
"All security forces in general and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in particular must prove the credibility during the upcoming elections by staying away from politics," he told his former military comrades during a ceremony held in his honor at the Defense Ministry.
"I am positive that you will be doing a good job. I have great confidence in you and your command as well as the responsible ministers," Sleiman said.
"I am sure of what I”m saying due to my present experience with both the defense and interior ministers who are present among us today," he added.
The ceremony was organized by LAF commander General Jean Kahwaji and was attended by Defense Minister Elias Murr, Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud, and other high ranking security officials.
Sleiman also said that the Israeli danger was the most important of three dangers which threaten Lebanon.
"Israel wants to eliminate the Lebanese formula which is contradictory to Israel”s hostile nature … Israel continues to deprive the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, namely the right of refugees to return to their homeland," he said.
"The second danger is internal strife which destroys Lebanese unity … only a unified Lebanon can truly resist Israel," the president added.
Terrorism is the third danger which threatens Lebanon, Sleiman emphasized.
The president stressed that the LAF soldiers and officers had proved their loyalty to the military establishment.
Sleiman added that the LAF was open to receiving military aid that is not tied to any political conditions.
Tackling the issue of a national defense strategy, Sleiman said that the coordination between the LAF and the resistance was a good example for building a defense strategy.
Sleiman has already chaired four rounds of talks aimed at reaching an agreement over a defense strategy for Lebanon.
The talks between the country”s senior politicians will resume in early March at the Presidential Palace.
For his part, Kahwaji said that the LAF will never turn its back on its "sacred duties of defending Lebanon against any possible Israeli attack, confronting terrorism, and protecting the safety and freedom of all citizens."
Meanwhile, the imminent elections remained high on the agenda of politicians on Friday after MP Michel Murr opened campaigning by declaring his candidacy earlier this week.
Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arslan, the main Druze rival of Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader MP Walid Jumblatt, said in a news conference on Friday that he was not begging Jumblatt for a seat in the qada of Alley.
"I would like to tell MP Jumblatt that Talal Arslan is not waiting for any party to offer him a seat here or there … I will run along with my allies on a unified list in Alley and other districts," he said.
"I informed Jumblatt earlier that the opposition [March 8 Forces] had no intentions to exchange any parliamentary seat with him or any of his allies," he added.
Late on Thursday, the PSP chief said he was open to exchanging seats with Arslan.
"If I decide to give up a seat in Alley to Arslan”s favor, I will have to secure another seat somewhere else."
Speaking to LBC television, Jumblatt declared his support for independent candidates in electoral constituencies where March 14 candidates have little chances of winning.
The first sign of cooperation between March 14 and independent candidates was revealed on Thursday by Murr, who said that the Phalange Party would be among his allies in the qada of Metn.
Asked about his relations with Hizbullah, Jumblatt said that despite agreeing with Hizbullah over enmity with Israel, he was still at odds with the group over his position toward the Syrian regime.
"We stressed our enmity toward Israel during the recent meeting with Hizbullah MP Mohammad Raad, but we remain at odds over the Syrian regime," the PSP leader said. Jumblatt added that he did not mind meeting Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. "This is not the first time I say this but I will not repeat it forever … Sayyed Nasrallah is aware of his security circumstances and we will meet whenever it is possible."
In separate news on Friday, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir said he was worried about attempts to "replace President Sleiman."
In an interview with Al-Massira magazine, Sfeir said that deep divisions among Christian in Lebanon was reflecting negatively on their well being and fate in the country.
Sfeir added that a "centrist bloc that would emerge after the June 7 polls would help in ending political stagnation in Lebanon and create balance in the country.