Source: Nowlebanon.com, March 13, 2008
Army Commander General Michel Suleiman confirmed that Lebanon would not "betray" Syria, pointing to the need for positive communication between the two countries.
In an interview with the Syrian Dabbour magazine, Suleiman said he did not nominate himself for presidency. The Army Commander added that in the event of his election by two-thirds of the members of parliament, he would not acknowledge his presidency as consensual unless all sects conferred on his nomination.
Suleiman noted that power struggles would only add to internal division. He asked Syria to understand and acknowledge the nature of the Lebanese system.
While Lebanon received an invitation to the Damascus Summit from the Arab League on Thursday, debates around who is to represent the country continue, and a president - namely, General Suleiman - is now out of the question.
Lebanon has been without a president since November amid feuding between the parliamentary majority and the opposition.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt have accused Syria of blocking the election of a new president in Lebanon, while Syria's official press accused the United States of responsibility for the Lebanon crisis and accused the US of trying to torpedo the summit, which Damascus will host on March 29-30, as well.