? The Lebanese themselves can save Lebanon when they accept each others and respect each others rights.




- Photo: Al-Akhabr Newspaper

? I am concerned because some people are irresponsible and have become drunk with international support. But this international support is shallow.

? I cannot guarantee that a popular movement will not lead to degradation and this is the responsibility of the government that has offered us nothing and has denied us of our rights.

? The Lebanese army will protect the people but will not protect an unjust regime that disrespects the Constitution. The Lebanese army is a national army that is supposed to defend the people not the regime; at the same time, it will not seek to topple the regime by force.

? We are not obliged to inform anyone of our plans and we will consider any election with the 50% + 1 or the prolongation of the Siniora government a coup and will deal with it accordingly.

? The so-called majority will not go to the elections with the 50% + 1 and we will prevent them.

? President Lahoude can yield his power to a government he deems appropriate thus he can form an interim government.

? The French policy should correct the mistakes they have done in the past with the Americans mainly imposing the election law in 2005 and I have expressed back then my opinion to the American Charge d?Affaires in Paris twice saying that the date of the elections was not as important as the content of the law and that a new law should be issued.

? There is no solution so far because they are still discussing the names whereas the names are not important, what?s important is what will happen after the election.

? We support a fully-fledged solution and a person capable of guaranteeing the implementation of this solution. I can do that and I can implement the international resolution in such a way to preserve stability and national unity.

? The solution should be reached through the popular legitimacy.

? Chaos is caused by those who steal what doesn?t belong to them.

? The Serail is also a tent- it is the government tent. So our tents and the tent of the Serail should leave together.

I am sorry Welsh had to threaten me and I would like to tell him that this will not change any of my positions. And my parliamentary bloc will remain united. We are free people and we have our dignity. The US can invade us militarily but cannot strip us of our dignity and freedom.

? I do not regret any decision that I have made. I am taking my decisions according to my national duties.

? I am not an enemy of the US, we are friends with the US but we have the right to disagree with the policy adopted nowadays. Unfortunately, according to the principle that ?you?re either with us or against us?, I consider that the current policy of the US threatens our very existence.

? The way I see things is that the normal path to democracy should not create a problem but it is the foreign interference that is in reality creating a problem.

? The only remaining solution is the interim government; otherwise, we should reach a consensus on the president that should at least safeguard the national unity.

? The reasons MP Saad Hariri gave me about why he doesn?t support me are not convincing. He said he had 2 candidates, Nassib Lahoud and Boutros Harb. I told him that we need someone who can bring a solution and I asked him to bring any president he wants but one that can provide a solution to the problem. But the solution has to be discussed with and approved by the concerned party, i.e. Hizbullah.

? When we decide to meet with MP Walid Jumblatt we should at least respect each other and each other?s friends.

? I reiterate my free decision making even if we are threatened from time to time.

? This is not the first time the US takes such a position against me. Prior to the Metn by-elections, there was a presidential decree issued against those who oppose the Siniora government. And lately David Welsh threatened to include us on the black list. In this context, I would like to remind Welsh of the US Constitution that we look up to, and especially the preamble that consecrates inalienable rights of the people to change their governments.

? The Patriarch has proven very wise by not choosing the president himself. He, as a moral and religious authority, cannot name a president. Yet he clearly mentioned the characteristics of the president, namely that he should not have a shameful past, and that he should be representative and he called on the deputies to do their duties. No one can pressurize Bkirki into anything.

? They are putting all the responsibility on the Christians and Bkirki and this is a wrong approach. But it is the popular legitimacy of the candidate that should be taken into consideration and there is a lot of discrepancy in the popular representation among candidates.

? There is one path in democracy which is elections and referring to the people.

? Those who oppose me should give me valid reasons. I feel I am being punished because of the understanding with Hizbullah.

? I was attacked when I talked to Hizbullah while they all wanted Hizbullah back into the government, so they are in reality against FPM, not Hizbullah.

? I am not the only one targeted here, but all the Christians of Lebanon are targeted through an attempt of marginalization that is worse than the situation that prevailed under the Syrian occupation.

? A part of the Christians deputies are responsible of the situation first because they prolonged the 2000-Ghazi Kanaan law and this law was imposed on us in 2005 by the Americans and France under Chirac. This law gerrymandered the vote and misrepresented the Christians. The same thing happened to us when we tried to enter the government. And now they want to completely eliminate our role in the presidential elections.

? There is no such a thing as unanimity within a democracy.

? The problem is that there are international resolutions and the issue of the weapons of Hizbullah and thus the pressure lies in dealing with these resolutions.

The only solution we?ve got is the salvation government and it has been refused so far. But this can still be the solution if there is no consensus on the president.

? The consensus is made of 2 components: a plan for a solution agreed upon by all parties concerned and a president who can be the guarantor of this solution and implement it so as to reach a happy ending and not a confrontation.

? The solution I am suggesting is the formation of an interim government if no consensus is reached. I have offered many things that were stolen from me. When I testified against Syria in Congress for the Syria Accountability Act, I was tried in Lebanon and when I got back, all those who took me to court declared themselves heroes of the liberation.

? I have offered the solution for the implementation of the 1559 and I was attacked by all parties.

? All those who are attacking the resistance now have always been staunch resistance supporters all the way through 2005. They denounced Hizbullah as a terrorist group only when we signed the Memorandum of Understanding.