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Demarcation deal provides sufficient capital to save Lebanon: Aoun

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Oct 2022 15:13

In a farewell speech at the Baabda Presidential Palace, Lebanese President Michel Aoun says the people need to mobilize efforts to rid the country of corruption.

Aoun saluting his supporters before leaving Baabda

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Sunday that "the maritime demarcation deal will allow us to extract our national wealth of oil and gas, which will provide sufficient capital to save Lebanon."

In a speech at the Baabda presidential palace during the official ceremony of Aoun's departure, Aoun stated that he had signed a decree accepting the resignation of the caretaker government.

الرئيس اللبناني #ميشال_عون: "وقّعت مرسوم اعتبار الحكومة حكومة مستقيلة".#لبنان #الميادين pic.twitter.com/5jGyC4ob1E
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) October 30, 2022

Aoun addressed his supporters, saying, "Today marks the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one that requires prompt effort and hard work."

"The country was stolen from your own pockets and we need to mobilize efforts to get rid of corruption," he said, pointing out that "our state, with all its institutions, has become worn out and worthless because of the ruling system which colonizes it."

الرئيس اللبناني #ميشال_عون: "البلد مسروق من جيوبكم ونحتاج إلى العمل والمواقف والجهود لاقتلاع الفساد من جذوره".#لبنان #الميادين pic.twitter.com/EsR1y5cS1q
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) October 30, 2022

Aoun stressed that "the judicial investigation that preceded the criminal investigation uncovered financial crimes and brought them before the Public Prosecution, but they still haven't found their way to the court," noting that "the President of the Supreme Judicial Council does not want to appoint a judiciary to look into the cases of people who were unfairly detained in the case of the Beirut Port explosion."

"The country is founded on the pillars of law enforcement and justice," Aoun said, noting that "our ruling today has become a rule based on revenge, not a just one, and we are now entering a new phase that will be challenging."

Aoun stressed, "We will not settle down before we pull the country out of the hole in which it is stuck," adding that "all the crimes were committed by the authority that stole the money from the depositors and smuggled it out."

He continued, "We will see if a head of the sovereign fund will be appointed to look after the oil-generated wealth that should go to development and also to future generations.”

Aoun will end his six-year-long term tomorrow as President of the Republic of Lebanon without a candidate to fill the position yet.

It is noteworthy that Lebanon is currently governed by a transitional government, with Mikati appointed to form a new government for the past six months to no avail.

The political vacuum threatens to deepen the country's crises in light of an accelerating economic collapse that started three years ago and with a caretaker government with limited powers, following the failure of political forces to form a government since May.