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Aoun Calls for Unveiling ‘Biggest Heist in Lebanon’s History’

Lebanon's President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda (Reuters)
Lebanon's President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda (Reuters)
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Aoun Calls for Unveiling ‘Biggest Heist in Lebanon’s History’

Lebanon's President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda (Reuters)
Lebanon's President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda (Reuters)

Lebanese President Michel Aoun has called on the Lebanese to put their political differences aside and support him in unveiling the biggest heist in Lebanon’s history, saying the forensic audit may be harder than liberating the land.

In a televised speech, Aoun slammed the Central Bank saying that political parties provided cover for its operations, accusing it of violating the Code of Money and Credit.

“You should have organized the banking practice and taken the measures to protect the people’s money in banks and imposed solvency and liquidity standards."

The president accused the banks of squandering people’s money, saying: “your liability is obvious, and you cannot run away from the truth: people entrusted you with their money and you disposed of it irresponsibly, yearning for quick profit without distributing the risks according to professional rules.”

Aoun stressed that the forensic audit is the demand of all the Lebanese, pointing out that the collapse of the forensic audit “means a hit to the French initiative because without it, there is no international support, no CEDRE money, no Arab or Gulf support, and no International Monetary Fund.”

He believed that undermining the audit will be a blow to the government's decision, calling for an extraordinary session to take appropriate decisions to protect people's deposits, uncover the causes of the collapse, and define responsibilities in preparation for accountability and the restoration of rights.

The central bank’s accounts were not transparent, and it was unaware of the shortage in foreign exchange reserves, which was illegally covered from depositors’ money, according to Aoun.

He explained that the government assigned the consultancy firm Alvarez & Marsal for the audit, but the governor of the central bank refused to answer 73 out of 133 questions it had sent, claiming they violated the Code of Money and Credit or had no answer.

"It has become clear that the goal of stalling the audit is to push the company to despair to leave Lebanon and stop the audit,” said Aoun, warning that the criminals will get away from punishment.

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Aoun Wants Formation of ‘Consensual’ Lebanese Govt Representing All Components

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
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Aoun Wants Formation of ‘Consensual’ Lebanese Govt Representing All Components

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is advocating the formation of a government of “consensus” that includes representatives from all political factions.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam has requested that parliamentary blocs submit non-partisan nominees for ministerial positions, emphasizing that they must not belong to any political party.

Aoun stressed on Tuesday that all components of society have the right to be represented in the government, parliament and public administration, as this is already practiced in the army.

“We have significant opportunities that we hope to seize by uniting all elements of Lebanese society—civil, spiritual, and political. Together, we can rebuild our nation,” he declared.

Highlighting the importance of meeting international expectations, Aoun hoped for the rapid formation of a government to achieve political, economic, and security stability, which would allow citizens “to live with dignity, not merely in relative comfort.”

During meetings with professional delegations at the Presidential Palace, Aoun said: “We are at a crossroads. Either we take advantage of the current circumstances and rise above sectarian, religious, and political divisions, or we head in a different direction and bear full responsibility for failing to fulfill our duties.”

Negotiations between Aoun, Salam, and political factions over the formation of a government are ongoing. The discussions, which kicked off last week, have reportedly made progress, with efforts directed toward expediting the government formation process, issuing decrees, preparing a ministerial statement, and securing its vote of confidence from lawmakers.

While the Shiite duo of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement appear to have finalized their proposed nominees for the government, disagreements over the ministerial statement remain.

MP Waddah Sadek, who is backed by the opposition, firmly rejected the inclusion of the “Army, People, Resistance” term in the statement. He declared: “No ‘blocking third’ in the government, and no unconstitutional gimmicks. The slogan of the new phase in Lebanon should be: the ‘Army, People, and State.’”

The Kataeb Party echoed this stance, stressing that Lebanon, emerging from a devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel, must align with the Aoun’s inaugural speech and Salam’s remarks by ensuring the ministerial statement exclusively underscores the state’s monopoly over arms and the defense of the nation.

“The government must act decisively, dismantle militias, strictly enforce the ceasefire, and uphold its provisions across all Lebanese territory,” it demanded.

The Kataeb Party also urged Aoun and Salam to resist the “great extortion” by Hezbollah and Amal to secure specific ministries or positions, in violation of the inaugural speech, calling instead for the application of uniform standards to ensure the government’s success.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah adopted a more confrontational tone.

MP Hussein Hajj Hassan, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, commented: “To those betting on Hezbollah’s weakness or the weakness of the Hezbollah-Amal alliance, what will you say when the government is formed? What will you say when you realize the strength of Hezbollah, the alliance, and the resistance’s supporters across all segments of Lebanese society? What will you say when you see the unwavering determination and unity of the resistance at every critical juncture?”