Politicians should apologize: President

Baabda Declaration outlines economic plan for every region

“Politicians should apologize to citizens because they do not respect their own decisions,” said President Michel Sleiman, signaling to Baabda Declaration as one of many unfulfilled promises, including its economic part. The President made his comment during an awards ceremony.

“Article seven [of the Baabda Declaration] outlines an economic plan for all regions,” he said. The Baabda Declaration is the main reason why the International Group recently assembled, according to Sleiman. “The Group agreed on the need to adopt the Declaration as a public policy,” he said.

The President said: “Administrative decentralization is a major privilege that encourages different economic sectors.” Sleiman had recently announced that an administrative decentralization plan will be launched soon to address infrastructure and environmental protection issues.

Basic consumer rights, namely ending abuse and enhancing social justice, should be respected, he said. “Preserving rights such as safety, knowledge, and compensation for damages, is needed as well,” said Sleiman. Educating citizens about the importance of a safe environment is also needed.

Sleiman underlined the need to improve the Petroleum Administration (PA). “It [PA] should be given more self-jurisdiction instead of keeping it under the minister’s control,” he said.

“Oil and gas blocks should not be awarded in one go, in order to preserve public interest. Blocks should be awarded one at a time,” Sleiman said. The management of the exploration and production process is going well, according to the President, who called for keeping this issue far from politics.