Aoun: Opposition has strong public trust (Part 1)

Aoun: Opposition has strong public trust (Part 1)

Q. The ruling coalition finally accepted you as a negotiator for the opposition. You met the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa and you meet face-to-face with Saad Hariri.
A. I usually don't ask that they accept, or refuse. The important thing is they did it. And we started dialogue on the Lebanese dilemma. I hope this dialogue helps lead to a solution.
Q. Do you believe a solution is in the making?
A. Whatever the outcome, if we don't reach a solution, it won't be because of me. The responsibility (for failure) will rest with the others.
Q. Do you believe that the meeting yesterday was merely symbolic?
A. Well, in one sense, it wasn't just symbolic. There was also an informative clarification on how the ruling group thinks and what they want.
Q. What does your heart tell you? Are you going to reach a coalition with the opposition?
A. It always begins with a wish. Now whether this wish comes true or not is something else. I hope we reach a solution.
Q. (In other words) the dream will not come true, right?
A. No, a solution or achieving this dream, is possible; reaching a solution is very, very important. If there is no solution, there will be negative consequences for Lebanon because of this inability.
Q. You are talking positively with me because you are afraid they will pin the blame on you, right? You don't want to say anything against your own coalition. Is that right?
A. We have to suspend judgments and we can't conclude things yet. The chances for success, and failure, are still there. We don't want to talk about success or failure or give false hopes to people or give them a negative picture. We are trying to reach a solution.
Q. General Aoun, you are an intelligent man. One of the most prominent figures in Lebanon. You have met many figures from the ruling coalition in the past and all these attempts failed. General, is this new initiative going to fail or not?
A. We always have to try, we were raised on the idea of always continuing to try and if things fail, we will have the honor of having tried.
Q. If the attempt fails, what are you going to do? Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah said the opposition will take decisive action. What kind of actions are we talking about?
A. There are diverse methods of voicing our opposition. There's talk, demonstrations, civil disobedience and negative actions. Until now we haven't decided on the best way to go. We will announce it in time.
Q. Perhaps again you will not succeed. And yet you demand?
A. The sit-in would have been solved. What comes next won't be a sit-in, it will involve movement and this means energy and directing this energy, and the authorities, and society might feel this immediately and in a more direct manner..
Q. Do you think this time people will listen to you and take to the streets and protest?
A. Our credibility with people and concern with public safety has made us behave very pacifically for more than a year now. Our intentions are peaceful, not out of weakness. We have the power. So people believe in us. Sometimes we tell them, 'be calm', and they are, and sometimes we say we need a bit more strength, and they're ready to give, because we deal with things responsibly. The nation is ours. If a glass breaks in the street, this is a loss for us. So, our peaceful actions are key.
I hope the authorities understand this before it's not too late, because our movement can also cause harm.
Q. General Aoun, do you believe that the March 14th alliance decides for itself or does the US dictate its policies?
A. They don't make their decisions. They might take a position and then change it next day. They have fights and debates among themselves and they say this is democracy. Some of them were against nominating a military man, whereas Walid Jumblatt, Ghassan Tueni, Hariri - the top officials didn't want a military man or any amendment to the Constitution.
Then 24 hours later, they changed their position.
Q. Who changed their position?
A. It certainly wasn't me. They deal openly with some Arab countries and the Americans. The Americans are the most important player in the presidency (debate).
Q. So they don't decide for themselves, America decides for them?
A. It's either them [the US] or another country.


Origin: moqavemat.ir