FPM Urges 'Strong President, Army', Threatens 'Popular Quorum' for Presidency

The Free Patriotic Movement declared Sunday that a strong Lebanon requires “a strong president and a strong army,” as it warned against any attempt to elect a president through a non-consensual parliamentary quorum.

“Lebanon's strength lies in a strong president and a strong army … and a balanced foreign policy that achieves the country's interest,” FPM chief Jebran Bassil said, reciting clauses of the movement's new political manifesto.

“There is a need to adopt a policy of internal openness and dialogue with the country's components who are ready to build new understandings that complete the understandings that the FPM has forged,” Bassil added.

Reassuring that the FPM “will not call for federalism” in response to what he described as the “systematic marginalization” of Christians, Bassil noted that his movement “has started seeking a new administrative structure that uses decentralization to ensure rights.”

Turning to the issue of the stalled presidential elections, the FPM chief threatened to resort to “popular quorum” if some political forces decide to disregard the size of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc and its representation in the Christian community.

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and the FPM, Hizbullah and some of their allies have been boycotting the electoral sessions.

Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri launched late in 2015 a proposal to nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his suggestion was rejected by the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.

The Hizbullah-led March 8 camp, as well as March 14's Lebanese Forces, have argued that FPM founder MP Michel Aoun is more eligible than Franjieh to become president given the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.

Y.R.