Aug. 3, 2000.
His Excellency PM. General Michel Aoun:
The Boycott Is a Condemnation of the Occupation and Participation
Is a Cover for the Defenders of Syria's Interests

Lebanese Prime Minister General Michel Aoun spoke yesterday from his exile in Paris about his decision to boycott the Lebanese parliamentary elections. He said, "The Syrian occupation is the cause of the economic and political collapse in Lebanon at present. It does not leave room for drawing up a political plan accountable to the Lebanese people." He added: "The elections will reinforce this regime and their outcome is known beforehand. The Lebanese will not be going to the ballot boxes to vote but to endorse a Syrian decision. They endorsed the appointment of "President" Emile Lahhud and the "Government" and will now endorse the appointment of deputies."

Aoun added: "Our boycott aims to expose and condemn the elections held under occupation. Their results can only be in the latter's interest. Our participation would provide cover for the Syrian interests' defense line." Asked to explain some of his allies' participation in them, such as "Deputy" Pierre Dakkash and [former] President Amin Gemayel's son, Aoun said: "I can only explain my position. The others have to explain theirs. I have never given the people conflicting positions throughout my political career because I am frank, clear, and I do what I say."

Regarding the appeal of "Deputy" Walid Junblatt, Leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, for Gen. Aoun's return, the Prime Minister said: "I have not read what he has said. But if he is talking about my return, then he is quite right. My deportation was the result of a political decision. I did not leave Lebanon. The "Lebanese" State has a forged file that it judicially uses to hide behind to slander and libel me. There is no courageous judiciary to return this file because it is empty and undocumented. They are still brandishing to this day the judicial file whenever the issue of my return is mentioned. The other important point is that I was the target of three assassination attempts. The security organs in charge of the country at present cannot be trusted. Also, I do not want to increase the number of loyalists or silent people in Lebanon by even one number. I am convinced that the authorities cannot tolerate my presence in the country. They cannot even tolerate my picture on television screens. How then could they tolerate my presence in Beirut and my meetings with people? I feel here in France that I have freedom of movement. The "Government" has to back down on its allegations against me, apologize, and restore the usurped rights before I
make any move."

When asked whether he believes that former President Amin Gemayel's return to Lebanon will increase the loyalists, Gen. Aoun said: "I believe that he has become a loyalist. This is his choice and I do not want to criticize him. But I believe that Syria is in fact ruling Lebanon. The Lebanese opposition is operating under the Syrian umbrella and has to make more concessions to the Syrians because the decision is not Lebanese. We have liaison officers, "Government" members and officials, who carry and execute orders. What is the use of having an opposition under the Syrian umbrella?
This is my understanding and it is the nearest to the reality." When asked whether his position is similar to that of the late leader
Raymond Iddih who made his return contingent on ending the Syrian occupation, Aoun replied: "Not necessarily, not necessarily. Let us agree
with the Syrians on their departure from Lebanon, like linking their withdrawal to a certain event, for example, the peaceful solution of the
Middle East issue. But they do not want to link it to anything. On the contrary, (Syrian President) Bashar Assad said in his speech that the
Syrian-Lebanese relationship is exemplary and have not been completed yet. I do not know what they want to cancel in Lebanon so as to complete this relationship. They might want to cancel the state so as to complete it and make Lebanon a province."

Regarding his conditions for returning, he said: "I do not wish or try to return because I have given up hope on them. The "Lebanese" State is hostile to me. There are decisions that are judicially arbitrary against me. How can I guarantee my life if I cannot guarantee my rights?"

On his criticism of Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, he said: "I criticized those who are not taking a stand and I did not mean the Patriarch or others. I am talking in the abstract about every Lebanese who describes the situation as bad as it is but does not advocate a specific solution for it. He is like the international human rights organizations that do not have a solution for the situations they describe."

Regarding "Deputy" Nassib Lahoud's criticism of "Deputy Prime Minister" Michel al-Murr's practices in Al-Matn, Aoun said: "The presence of "Prime Minister" Salim al-Huss, like the presence of Al-Murr, is the presence of a regime, authority, and practices that are all wrong."