Former ambassador and President of the American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL), Edward Gabriel, expressed hope and confidence that Lebanon would have a new president of the republic on January 9, ending a two-year presidential deadlock.
“We are excited about the dialogue taking place between the opposition parties, and between various political groups, and we hope to achieve the election of a president on January 9 who will be able to implement the ceasefire agreement (with Israel) and maintain security and economic advancement,” Gabriel said on the political program ‘Sar el Waet’ on MTV channel Thursday.
Gabriel noted that the United States “does not care about the name” of presidential hopefuls, leaving that issue to Lebanese parliamentarians.
He also stressed that Lebanon has an opportunity at present to rebuild itself, one that only comes once in a century.
The former ambassador insisted that the Lebanese army and the legal armed forces are the only ones entrusted with the task of enforcing the ceasefire, and the Lebanese army must eradicate any ille
In line with the US administration's expectations, Gabriel said that the future president and his government would also have to implement a program of economic reform to ensure that Lebanon benefits from international financial aid.
Hosted on the same program, former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, David Schenker, said Lebanon “has been liberated,” with the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the weakening of Hezbollah, but the question remains as to whether it will benefit from the opportunity to move forward and get rid of the militias’ dominance and Iran’s control over its decisions?
He stressed that the next president should be courageous, strong and decisive, as well as politicians in Lebanon now that Hezbollah’s losses have led to an imbalance among many of those close to the Iranian-backed axis.
“Obviously there are many (politicians) who are sad,” he added.
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