 Kesrouan MP General Michel Aoun criticized President Emile Lahoud's decision to attend a UN summit in New York later this month, and voiced concerns that he would be blamed for failures of Lahoud's security regime should he be the next president. Aoun's comments followed a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir late yesterday evening. Aoun said that if he was in Lahoud's place, he "wouldn't leave the country, but rather stay and follow-up on the internal issues."
| The difference between Lahoud going to the UN and Assad going is that likely there won't be a coup in Leb while the president's out of town. |
When asked about the destiny of the presidency, Aoun said: "We have to agree on people who are able to hold on their responsibilities. We've said it previously as we are saying it now and in the future, there will not be a play thing or a civil servant, but a president who enjoys the qualities of a president such as leadership and morals. The president has to be in the position where he can push the country forward toward reform and change. That is because the country can't bear anymore the current situation of corruption, bankruptcy and other difficulties the Lebanese people are suffering from especially when the media only concentrates on the investigations into former Premier Rafik Hariri's murder." |