President Aoun on Independence Day: I Will Never Back Off in Battle against Endemic Corruption

Mentioning the main crises that have storming Lebanon, including Beirut Port explosion and the economic collapse, President Aoun reiterated his promise to “dig in the rock, no matter how solid it gets, in order to open the road to salvation for the nation”. “I will not back off in the issue of forensic financial audit, no matter what the obstacles may be, and I will take the necessary measures to re-launch its financial track.” President Aoun pointed out that liberating the nation from the foreign occupation and mandate would not be enough to maintain independence, noting that the political, financial and administrative corruption has imprisoned the country. “least, Statehood, in its most basic components, needs an active and efficient government. Hasn’t the time come yet, under all the current pressing circumstances, to liberate the process of the formation of the government-to-be from attractions and from hiding behind rescue initiatives to deviate from the unified rules and criteria that must be respected and implemented on everyone in order to straighten the formation and functioning of the executive branch?” The Lebanese President called for speeding up the investigation into the Beirut Port explosion in order to reveal unveil the truth, criminalize the culprit  exonerate the wrongfully accused, and free the rights of the affected. President Aoun added, “Lebanon holds on to its full sovereign borders, and hopes that negotiations on the demarcation of the Southern maritime borders will bear fruit, whereas Lebanon will recover all its rights, pursuant to international pacts, and the Blue Line will be corrected to fit the delineated, fixed and internationally-recognized land borders.” “As for what is going on around us and in the world in terms of drastic international and regional changes and transformations, what is striking therein is the recognition of Israel by many Arab States which marched towards full normalization with it; and this implies, unfortunately, a tacit acceptance of the loss of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the Golan, along with an increased frequency of American pressure before the new administration takes office, and a renewed involvement of Russia in the file of the displaced.” In this regard, President Aoun highlighting the importance of holding a national dialogue in order to tackle the repercussions of the regional developments on Lebanon and maintain the national unity in face of all the challenges. President Aoun also addressed the Lebanese army soldiers, highlighting their pivotal role in protecting and defending the borders and the national unity “that many are seeking to undermine”. Source: NNA