NNA - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met the United Nations Special Coordinator in Lebanon, Mrs. Joanna Wronecka, today at Baabda Palace.

The President told Wronecka that the constitutional process in Lebanon will continue after the parliamentary elections, through parliamentary consultations that lead to the assignment of a personality to form the new government.

President Aoun expressed his hope that this would be achieved as soon as possible in view of the entitlements that await the forthcoming government. 

The President also indicated that the parliamentary elections witnessed practices that violate the laws, perhaps the most important of which is that some candidates exceeded the specified financial limits, in addition to the purchase of votes in a number of constituencies, as well as foreign interference in politics, money and the media. 

In this context, President Aoun asserted that local, international, European and Arab observers, who followed the course of the electoral process, documented these practices and will be present in the reports they will submit to the authorities they represent and the competent judicial references.

On the other hand, President Aoun revealed that the Lebanese side will inform the American mediator to the indirect negotiations to demarcate the southern maritime borders, Mr. Amos Hochstein, of the unified Lebanese position regarding the proposed proposals to resume these negotiations, which preserve Lebanon’s rights.

For her part, Mrs. Wronecka had congratulated President Aoun on the completion of the parliamentary elections, which were completedpositively inside and outside Lebanon, and hoped that the new government would be formed as soon as possible given the tasks required of it at the present time. 

Wronecka indicated that the UN is ready to contribute to everything that would move the indirect negotiations to demarcate the southern maritime borders, praising President Aoun’s wisdom and his role in this delicate stage in Lebanon’s history.

MP Delegation:

The President received a parliamentary delegation that included MPs: Melhem Khalaf, Ibrahim Mneimneh, Ramy Feng, Mark Daou, Waddah Sadek, Yassin Yassin and Najat Aoun.

MP Khalaf gave a speech on behalf of the delegation in which he said:

“Mr. President,

The people’s trust carried us, on May 15, to the helm of responsibility and honor to serve them, and here we are today, we come to you as MPsrepresenting the entire nation and the Lebanese people, and you are in the inclusive position, the incubator of all Lebanese, entrusted with the preservation of the constitution and the application of laws, the guarantor of constitutional institutions. From this standpoint, and from our national duty, and in light of the press conference that we held in Parliament last Monday, during which we presented our clear position adhering to Line 29 as a dividing line for the Lebanese-Palestinian maritime borders, we consider it fateful to address the following issues and questions:

First, Mr. President, we have elaborated on our presentation to the people of Lebanon’s right to line 29, and that this line is justified, legitimate and legal and is proven by international documents and laws devoted to international norms and good faith, especially the provisions of Articles 74 and 83 of the Convention on the Law of the Sea, and you are the best who knows that, especially that it was the Lebanese army who demonstrated this, of which you were the mainstay, and we know perfectly well that you were the first to adhere to this line.

Second, Your Excellency, we bring a question from the people to you, as the head of the executive authority: Why did this authority not take the initiative during this time to amend Decree 6433/2011 and deposit it with international references according to the rules, in order to confirm Line 29 and fortify our marine resources covered by this line?

Third, Mr. President, we ask you with all sincerity and respect, is it acceptable to negotiate over sovereign rights, before taking the procedural position that confirms Line 29?! Did this negotiation follow a productive strategy that guarantees rights and stems from the position of the force of law, and from the position of equality?! Or is it a negotiation based on a position of weakness, which Lebanon does not know and the Lebanese do not accept?! Is it not in the interest of all of us to take the highest legally justified position that protects our wealth, translated in practice by amending Decree 6433 and depositing it with the United Nations, and then letting the negotiation take its course, its formalities and its time? Why don’t we go back to the indirect negotiation that started in Naqoura?

Fourth, Mr. President, we have been told that we will not verify Line 29 because the Israeli enemy threatens to launch a war against us if we do so... Is this logical?! We only demand our right and our argument is the law! And whoever has other arguments to the contrary, let him confront us with the force of law and not with any other force! And what is the enemy doing today by sending the oil and gas exploration platform to the disputed Karish field, before rights are finally established?We do not succumb to the enemy’s alarmist threats! This cannot stop the verification of Line 29! We do not accept the entry of the Greek platform into the disputed Karish field and the start of production from it!

We expect you, Mr. President, not to accept all of that!

Fifth, His Excellency the President, the Israeli enemy remains an enemy, known for its malicious manoeuvres and insincerity... So let us choose our clear, unified position for all the Lebanese, the guarantor and custodian of our wealth... Let us choose Line 29... This line that qualifies us to negotiate from a position of strength! And when we are united over the eligibility of our rights, no enemy will defeat us, but we will defeat the enemy by clinging to the law! 

Mr. President,

We came today, to you, to address you with all transparency, with the fear of fate and the sovereign rights of people shaking people’s minds. We hope that you will take this approach with the required positive... Be frank with the people about the reality of what is happening in this very important sovereign issue... and do not hesitate for a moment, along with the other pillars of the executive authority, to move forward in amending Decree 6433/2011 and report it to international references today”.

President Aoun:

For his part, the President Aoun presented the stages of the indirect negotiations process with Israel to demarcate the southern maritime border and the difficulties faced and led to suspension. 

President Aoun explained Lebanon’s position on the proposed lines of demarcation, stressing that it is out of the question to waive Lebanon’s rights to invest its gas and oil wealth. 

In parallel, President Aoun pointed out that the talks that will take place with the American mediator in the negotiations, Amos Hochstein, dealing with Lebanon’s position on the resumption of indirect negotiations with Israel, which were halted after the Israeli enemy rejected the Lebanese proposal considering Line 29 as a negotiating line and after the Lebanese side rejected the Israeli Line No. 1 and the Hof Line.

Moreover, President Aoun expressed his hope that the talks with Mr. Hochstein will move the negotiations forward, speaking of the pressures that Lebanon is facing to prevent it from investing its oil and gas wealth.

The President also indicated that the President of the Republic is leading the negotiations, and after reaching an agreement, the Council of Ministers must approve it and refer it to the Parliament according to the rules, which is something that has not happened yet with respect to Line 29.

In addition, the President presented to the parliamentary delegation the circumstances of stopping drilling in Field No. 4, speaking of unconvincing justifications provided by the prospecting company, pointing out that international pressure had been obtained for it to stop following up on drilling.

Finally, President Aoun affirmed Lebanon’s rejection of Israeli threats, pointing out that the Israeli enemy is acting in contravention of international laws and resolutions, taking advantage of the international community’s silence about its violations of Security Council resolutions. 

In response to a question, President Aoun denied the existence of any connection between the negotiations on the demarcation of the border with the issue of leasing gas and electricity from Egypt and Jordan, or negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. -- Presidency Press Office 

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