Aoun after Meeting Sfeir: Arms Won’t Last Forever, Strength Lies in Endurance of Institutions Such as Bkirki

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stated on Wednesday that weapons possession outside the authority of the state is not “eternal.”

He made his statements after holding talks with outgoing Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir two hours before the Synod of Maronite Bishops’ retreat to elect his successor.

Aoun said after the meeting: “Strength lies in the endurance of institutions, such as Bkirki.”

He also thanked Sfeir for his long years of service, announcing his keenness on supporting Bkirki.

“We always apologize to the Patriarch and all the people. There was never a misunderstanding between us and Bkirki, but only a different way of looking at things, which does not mean animosity,” he stressed.

Addressing the arms possession outside state authority, Aoun stated: “Given the dangers facing Lebanon, the time is not right to abandon them, but no one can say that the arms will exist for an eternity.”

On Tuesday, Aoun criticized attacks against the Resistance's weapons and the base political rhetoric in Lebanon "that is harming the national principles and the mutual respect between the sects."

He said after the movement's weekly meeting: "We are proud of the arms because they have preserved our dignity."

"We challenge anyone who says that the Resistance has attacked me" and the government decisions of May 5, 2008 "will never be erased from the minds of the Lebanese," he stated.

Addressing the developments in Lebanon over the past six years, he said: "As Christians, we can deal with Sunnis and Shiites in the same way and our choice was confronting Israel and not opposing Sunnis."

"After six years, we have not seen anything positive from the other camp," the MP noted.

Aoun also demanded that the media refrain from broadcasting speeches "aimed at weakening the other."

Regarding the government formation process, he said: "We are not in a hurry to form the government because it will be established based on new bases and we are not here to maintain the corruption."

"We don't mind that Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati is taking his time … The FPM has not proposed names that Miqati would be ashamed or proud of, but we have standards in choosing our ministers," he continued.

Aoun rejected claims that he is obstructing the government formation process, demanding that proof of these allegations be presented.