Lebanese Prime Minister Reaffirms State's Exclusive Control of Arms
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed the state's exclusive control of arms, and announced progress in talks with his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to resolve the electricity crisis.
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Beirut, October 22 (KUNA) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam affirmed on Thursday that the monopoly on weapons must rest exclusively with the country’s legitimate military and security institutions, stressing that “the state has no partner in decisions of war and peace” and that no ceiling should be imposed above the safety of the country and the security of its citizens.
The Prime Minister’s office quoted Salam as saying in a speech delivered during a cabinet meeting chaired by President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace that “the state’s monopoly on weapons is a fundamental pillar in the establishment of the state, its constitution, and its enforced laws, particularly the Penal Code and the National Defense Law, as well as the Taif Agreement, UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and the declaration of cessation of hostilities.”
He added that “the entities authorized to carry weapons in Lebanon are clearly limited to the Lebanese Armed Forces, Internal Security Forces, General Security, State Security, Customs, and Municipal Police,” emphasizing that the term “exclusively” is embedded in the core of official texts and decisions approved by the government, which have thereby secured the confidence of the Chamber of Deputies.
The Lebanese Prime Minister stressed that storing or transporting weapons from outside legitimate entities “under any pretext whatsoever constitutes a violation of the law and a threat to public safety, warranting security follow-up and judicial prosecution,” noting that the army has completed the implementation of its plan to enforce the monopoly on weapons in all areas.
In a related development, Salam pointed to agenda items concerning the Justice Minister’s request to refer the case of explosives and the seized truck in the Dahr al-Bider and Al-Qasr areas to the Council of State for adjudication “in accordance with judicial procedures.”
On another front, Salam announced “significant” progress in talks with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani regarding the resolution of Lebanon’s electricity crisis through a comprehensive framework proposal for rehabilitating, developing, and modernizing the energy production infrastructure according to a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model. He clarified that under the Qatari offer, the Qatari side would handle financing, implementation, and operation “without imposing any upfront investment costs on the Lebanese treasury, thereby providing energy at a lower cost to Lebanese citizens,” and mentioned the call to hold a dedicated cabinet session within the next two weeks to discuss the electricity file, including issues of distribution and revenue collection.
Salam had previously affirmed, during a joint press conference with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman at the Baabda Palace in Beirut last Friday, that they were close to reaching a project aimed at developing the country’s energy infrastructure with Qatari participation.
For his part, the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister affirmed at the same press conference “agreement on establishing a comprehensive framework for cooperation and providing integrated solutions through a major investment project that benefits the Lebanese economy and the participating Qatari entities.” (End) F.Z. / M.A.A.
