Head of Independence Movement says March 14 to stand united over policy statement, prepare for presidential election within constitutional deadline.

Head of the Independence Movement Michel Moawad urged March 14 parties to stand firm during negotiations over the Cabinet policy statement, saying the government should endorse a policy of neutrality to distance the country from regional and international conflicts.

The policy statement should reflect the principles of the Baabda Declaration, according to Moawad, who said the government’s top priority is to pave the way for the election of a new president.

“March 14 parties are demanded today to join hands with all sovereign forces to enforce the Baabda Declaration and bolster the authority of the state and its official security and judicial institutions,” Moawad said.

A strong and sovereign Lebanese state leaves no room for the tripartite equation of the “army, people and resistance” that should be scrapped from the policy statement, Moawad added.

Despite his opposition in principle to the participation of Hezbollah in the government, Mouawad said he phoned both President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Tammam Salam to congratulate them over the government formation.

The role played by Sleiman and Salam and the appointment of March 14 figures to key portfolios such as the Ministries of Interior and Justice represent a guarantee against attempts to undermine the state’s authority, Moawad said.