"I am ready to meet your representatives... to hear your demands," he said in a short televised speech, his first since daily street protests began on October 17.
"My call to demonstrators: I am ready to meet your representatives that carry your concerns to listen to your specific demands. You will hear from us about our fears over financial collapse," he said.
"Dialogue is always the best for salvation. I am waiting for you."
Aoun's comments are his first since the protests started on Thursday, but his speech was met with derision at demonstrations in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and other cities.The speech was met with derision at demonstrations in Beirut and other cities.
The protesters have been venting their frustration at daily woes from lack of healthcare to power cuts, and calling for the replacement of a political system they say is corrupt and broken.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday presented a package of reforms, including cutting ministerial salaries, but the peaceful rallies have continued, crippling Beirut and other major cities.
"The reform paper that was approved will be the first step to save Lebanon and remove the spectre of financial and economic collapse," Aoun said.
"It was your first achievement because you helped remove obstacles in front of it and it was adopted in record speed," the president told protesters.
In Lebanon, the president does not control government policy, though Aoun's political party, the majority-Christian Free Patriotic Movement, is a key part of Hariri's governing coalition.
The president also echoed calls on the street to stamp out graft assuringd them that the reforms presented by Prime Minister Saad Hariri are the first step to "save Lebanon from financial collapse," and that it was thanks to the protests that the reforms were able to pass. He also promised to recover public money that was stolen by officials, according to Lebanese broadcaster MTV.
"Every person who stole public money should be held accountable but it is important their sect doesn't defend him blindly," he said.
"Dialogue is always the best for salvation. I am waiting for you."
Aoun's comments are his first since the protests started on Thursday, but his speech was met with derision at demonstrations in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and other cities.The speech was met with derision at demonstrations in Beirut and other cities.
The protesters have been venting their frustration at daily woes from lack of healthcare to power cuts, and calling for the replacement of a political system they say is corrupt and broken.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday presented a package of reforms, including cutting ministerial salaries, but the peaceful rallies have continued, crippling Beirut and other major cities.
"The reform paper that was approved will be the first step to save Lebanon and remove the spectre of financial and economic collapse," Aoun said.
"It was your first achievement because you helped remove obstacles in front of it and it was adopted in record speed," the president told protesters.
In Lebanon, the president does not control government policy, though Aoun's political party, the majority-Christian Free Patriotic Movement, is a key part of Hariri's governing coalition.
The president also echoed calls on the street to stamp out graft assuringd them that the reforms presented by Prime Minister Saad Hariri are the first step to "save Lebanon from financial collapse," and that it was thanks to the protests that the reforms were able to pass. He also promised to recover public money that was stolen by officials, according to Lebanese broadcaster MTV.
"Every person who stole public money should be held accountable but it is important their sect doesn't defend him blindly," he said.
Aoun stressed that Lebanon is a country of partnership and democracy, and that "the president of the republic needs the cooperation of everyone," adding that sectarianism is the basis of all problems in the country.
The president claimed that many parties felt that they could do what they wanted and the people would remain silent.
Dozens of protesters listening to the speech on loudspeakers outside parliament booed it and resumed their calls for fundamental reform, an AFP correspondent reported.
Among them, Rabah Shahrour said he was fed up with hearing the same speeches for years.
"We were looking for a little hope from him," he said of the president's speech.
"But sadly the president today spoke in generalities. We've being hearing these generalities for three years, and they haven't led to anything."
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said Aoun's pledges were not enough to sway protesters.
"The protesters don't trust the people in power. They want a technocrat government, ministers who are not affiliated with the different political parties, who will work in the interests of Lebanon. They also want early elections – Aoun addressed that.
"He said if you want change, it has to go through constitutional means, change cannot come from the street. What he means is the next election, the ballot box. So clearly he didn't meet the demands of the protesters but he is reaching out to protesters."
Commenting on Aoun's address, Lebanese journalist Jamal Ghosn told Al Jazeera that the president's speech appeared to be a government tactic to try to "defuse the protests".
"They [the Lebanese government] will try to break up the protest by any means possible and they don't seem open to change," he explained.
Ghosn added that unless the protesters continue to demonstrate, it was unlikely the government will address their concerns.
"If they [the protesters] have the staima to keep things going [for more than one week] then we might see things change.
"Another option would be for the protests to escalate and put more pressure [on the state]," he added.
The president claimed that many parties felt that they could do what they wanted and the people would remain silent.
Dozens of protesters listening to the speech on loudspeakers outside parliament booed it and resumed their calls for fundamental reform, an AFP correspondent reported.
Among them, Rabah Shahrour said he was fed up with hearing the same speeches for years.
"We were looking for a little hope from him," he said of the president's speech.
"But sadly the president today spoke in generalities. We've being hearing these generalities for three years, and they haven't led to anything."
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said Aoun's pledges were not enough to sway protesters.
"The protesters don't trust the people in power. They want a technocrat government, ministers who are not affiliated with the different political parties, who will work in the interests of Lebanon. They also want early elections – Aoun addressed that.
"He said if you want change, it has to go through constitutional means, change cannot come from the street. What he means is the next election, the ballot box. So clearly he didn't meet the demands of the protesters but he is reaching out to protesters."
Commenting on Aoun's address, Lebanese journalist Jamal Ghosn told Al Jazeera that the president's speech appeared to be a government tactic to try to "defuse the protests".
"They [the Lebanese government] will try to break up the protest by any means possible and they don't seem open to change," he explained.
Ghosn added that unless the protesters continue to demonstrate, it was unlikely the government will address their concerns.
"If they [the protesters] have the staima to keep things going [for more than one week] then we might see things change.
"Another option would be for the protests to escalate and put more pressure [on the state]," he added.
According to JPost The Lebanese leader also expressed his readiness to get rid of legal immunity for ministers and members of parliament, and to establish a special court for crimes committed concerning public funds. He mentioned that he is the one in the government who demands the return of stolen public funds and who presented a law to get these funds back.
Aoun said that he respects the right to freedom of expression, but stressed that freedom of movement is also a right that must be respected, referring to efforts by protesters to block roads.
According to MTV, protesters in various locations who were listening to Aoun's speech were disappointed by his address; the number of people at demonstrations began to climb after the speech, with demonstrators sticking even more to their demands.
After the speech, young protestors used the slogan "No confidence. No negotiation. Resign." Protestors chanted “Kullun yaani Kullun,” meaning "all of them means all of them," to emphasize that the entire government must step down.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Lebanon has one of the highest rates of public debt in the world relative to the size of its economy at 150%,.
The unemployment rate among those under 35 is 37%.
Sources: AFP / Aljazeera / Reuters
No comments