Qahwaji: Aoun's Election Turns a New Page for Lebanon
Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji hailed on Monday the election of President Michel Aoun and said that it turns a new leaf for Lebanon that will help to found the basis for national unification that has long been sought.
Qahwaji's comments came during his Order of the Day on the Occasion of Independence Day, he said: “The election of President General Michel Aoun has turned a new page and reshaped the broad lines of a political reality that has witnessed a lot of divisions and alignments. It heralds a promising era in the regularity of the state institutions and the integration of their roles, and to improve stability.”
Aoun was elected president on October 31 ending a presidential vacuum that lasted for over two and a half years.
Pointing to the kidnapped Lebanese soldiers who are still held captive by the Islamic State group, Qahwaji said: “We will spare no effort or opportunity in order to reveal their fate and free them.”
Nine servicemen who were kidnapped in 2014 during deadly battles with jihadists around the northeastern border town of Arsal are still held captive by the Islamic State group.
The nine troops were among more than 30 servicemen who were abducted during the battle.
While al-Nusra Front released 16 captives as part of a swap deal in December 2015, nine hostages remain in the captivity of the IS group and Lebanese officials have vowed to exert efforts to secure their release.
Source: Naharnet
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