PM resignation "ambiguous and mysterious": Lebanese president
Published : 12 Nov 2017, 01:08
Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said Saturday that the circumstances of the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri were "ambiguous and mysterious."
Any stance or move by Hariri "is the result of the dubious and mysterious situation that he is living in the kingdom," Aoun said in a statement from his media office.
He said that this meant all decisions and steps that Aoun had taken cannot reflect reality.
The comments came after Aoun called on Saudi Arabia to clarify the reasons why Hariri had not yet returned to Lebanon following his resignation announcement.
Hariri made the unexpected announcement on television from the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh last Saturday.
According to Article 69 of the Lebanese constitution, the government is considered resigned if "the PM resigns" without specifying the forms in which the resignation should be submitted to the president.
Tensions have heightened between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia in the wake of Hariri's exit and the delay in his return to Lebanon, which has thrown the country into a state of uncertainty.
Aoun has since been convening high-level meetings with Lebanese politicians and foreign diplomats.
According to a prior statement from Baabda, Aoun said Lebanon does not accept the position of its prime minister to be at odds with international treaties.
He said Friday in a meeting with the International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG) that he had concerns regarding Hariri's situation and that he would await the prime minister's return in order to find out the reasons behind his resignation.
He reminded the group of "international agreements that foster relations between states and the immunity that they provide to their agents."