UN chief warns against constitutional void and factional rearming
Beirut (AsiaNews/Agencies) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon cautioned against a constitutional void that the failure to elect a president might cause, warned the Lebanese factions against rearming, and stressed that Hizbullah’s rearmament is in violation of United Nations resolution, explicitly naming Syria and Iran. Mr Ban urged the Lebanese people to “rise to the occasion and turn a new page in their difficult history” by using the possibility of electing a president without foreign interference.
“Such an election would signify a major milestone on the road toward the full assertion of Lebanon's sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence,” Ban said.
For this reason there “must not be a constitutional void at the level of the presidency, not two rivalling governments,” he warned, making a clear reference to the years of civil war, echoing statements made by outgoing President Émile Lahoud.
“Most political parties in Lebanon are apparently preparing for the possible deterioration of the situation,” the UN chief said. Hence “I repeat my urgent call on all Lebanese parties to immediately halt all efforts to rearm and engage in weapons training and to instead return to dialogue and conciliation as the only viable method of settling issues and resolving the ongoing political crisis.”
Ban described as “deeply disconcerting” information suggesting that Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hizbullah “has rebuilt and increased its military capacity compared to prior to” its 34-day war with Israel in southern Lebanon last year.
Calling on all parties, including Hizbullah, to commit to the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon, he restated his conviction “that the eventual disarmament of Hizbullah in the sense of the completion of its transformation into a solely political party” is of critical importance for the future of a fully sovereign Lebanon.
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