Suleiman: Ministers are Obligated to Approve Cabinet Decisions
President Michel Suleiman rejected claims that the government is comprised of a single political camp, noting that the disputes among its members demonstrate his point.
He told the daily al-Mustaqbal in remarks published on Sunday: “Whenever cabinet votes on a decision, a minister is obligated to approve it.”
“If he refuses, then he should present a valid excuse otherwise he must resign,” he said in reference to the ongoing dispute over the transportation allowance over Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas’ refusal to approve the government’s agreement on the matter.
The dispute has created tensions between Nahhas’ Free Patriotic Movement, Suleiman, and the premiership, with the movement’s leader MP Michel Aoun accusing the president and Prime Minister Najib Miqati of working against the FPM ministers.
Suleiman stressed to the daily that no one can attack the presidency, saying that whoever does so “will be harmed.”
“It seems that we are not accustomed to working together … and I believe that we will gradually remember how to practice real democracy,” he continued.
“Democracy is not strictly about elections, but it teaches us how to sacrifice our personal opinions for better ones and how to accept the other for the sake of the nation,” explained the president.
“Our political system must be fortified,” he said.
Regarding his call for resuming the national dialogue, he remarked: “I urged all sides to resume the talks in order to reach an agreement over a defense strategy.”
“We need to find ways in which the resistance’s weapons can be used to defend Lebanon and the defense strategy would help us determine when, how, and why they arms would be used,” he continued.
“Weapons throughout Lebanon that are not part of this strategy need to be removed,” Suleiman stressed.
“These issues should be discussed at the national dialogue among other matters that the gatherers would suggest,” he said.
The March 14 camp has said that it would resume the national dialogue on condition that Hizbullah’s arms be the only topic of discussion, while party chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stated earlier this week that he would return to the national dialogue as long as no conditions are placed over it.
The party had repeatedly refused to discuss its possession of arms.
12 years
By the way, who is this Mr Suleiman?
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But we thought this great president of ours, may God bless him and extend his term for two mode decades, was capable of single-handedly remove the zeer from the beer! Perhaps he is saying this because he is also merciful! May God bless him. Aren't we fortunate to have this kind of once in a lifetime greatness? God is great!
12 years
the filthy zionist media terrorist complain about nasrallah deciding when how and why arms should be used.
well it's your problem. our glorious resistance was given the authorazation for that by parliament and every goverment.
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I am against disarming hesballah now, but can you explain to how and when did the parliament discuss or voted about something that has to do with resistance arms?
anyway after what happened in Tripoli last week, maybe we should be talking about 14 of march weapons and storing them between the houses!!!
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in 1991.
and you call yourself lebanese.
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Fair enough, but I wonder how quickly after making his decision will Sayyed Hassan turn into sexy Britney Spears break into "oops I did it again" and sing to the next 3000 innocent Lebanese citizens he kills his 2006 hit "if I only knew I wouldn't have started it", you and your fellow illiterate inbreds will believe him and celebrate by beating your own heads bloody.
I wonder were would the southern Shiites running away go to this time. They can't go to Syria it's not safe. The US and Canadian ships are to busy saving Iranian fishermen from Somali pirates to ferry the southern fleeing Shiites to the Dearborn or Montreal and after spending the last six years trying to get their smell out of homes and school they are not welcomed by the rest of the Lebanese. Dilemma of dilemmas ain't it.
Wait, I just remembered Sayyed Hassan does not make the decision on those arms anymore it's now made directly by Qassem Suleimani in Tehran.
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the filthy zionist media slime worries about what will happen on lebanese side after our glorious resistance starts liberating the remaining lebanese territory.
don't you worry about us. worry about yourself
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i have a question my dear president. if you see that the current government is doing nothing for the people, but attacking the presidency, then why dont you resign your share from the cabinet?
12 years
the filthy zionist media slime wants political crisis in lebanon
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the filthy zionist media slime hallucinate about our president being stamped by our glorious resistance.
“the defense strategy would help us determine when, how, and why they arms would be used”
what's wrong with the way things are now where Sayyed Hassan decides when, how, and why the arms would be used