BEIRUT: Lebanon can do without discussions on a new constitutional formula and should instead concentrate on electing a new president, British Ambassador Tom Fletcher said Friday, emphasizing the critical need for protecting the border with Syria in the face of an ISIS infiltration.
In an interview with As-Safir published Friday, Fletcher said there were continuous discussions about reconsidering the confessional system in Lebanon but that the focus should be to work according to the current Constitution and to elect a new president.
He said the presidential election was an easy and clear process that required meetings not in Iran, Russia, Britain or the United States but a single meeting under the roof of the Lebanese Parliament.
As for the future of the Constitution, Fletcher said such deliberations only brought major challenges Lebanon did not need.
Fletcher also commented on recent talk about dividing the region into smaller sectarian entities, saying Lebanon was a small country and could not be divided as such or revised into a federal state.
The ambassador also spoke about the recent security breaches in Lebanon and the Lebanese Army’s measures as part of a nationwide security plan to curb the rise of terrorist activities.
While he commended the security plan led by the military, particularly on the border with Syria, Fletcher said the authority of the state had declined, making the situation frailer.
He voiced concern that ISIS could infiltrate several parts of the border with Syria, which he said was the biggest challenge facing the military, saying that his country had recently donated nearly $7.8 million to train an Army unit on border security.
He said the U.K. had so far trained more than 3,500 Lebanese troops, most of whom fought against militants in Tripoli and Arsal.
Asked about Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria, Fletcher said it was sad that Iran was sending young Lebanese to die in Syria and that the approach should be to build a strong Lebanese state.
He also expressed hope Hezbollah would make the right decision to preserve stability in Lebanon as a priority, saying there was disputes within the party over its role in the Syrian conflict.
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