Salam: Role of the Resistance Is Over, Deposits Will Be Recovered
1/9/2026 12:05:00 AM
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated that the role of the resistance ended in 2000 with the liberation, “and what protects Lebanon today is the state and the Lebanese army. We want one state for all Lebanese, and the decision over war and peace must rest solely with the state. The exclusivity of weapons should serve all citizens and not be directed against anyone.”
In an interview with MTV, Salam clarified that “we did not invent the matter of ‘exclusive control of weapons’ in this government; it is mentioned in the Taif Agreement with the phrase ‘extending the state’s authority over all Lebanese territories through its own forces.’ The government has achieved a lot in administration through appointments and regulatory bodies, as well as in the path toward exclusive control of weapons and reclaiming the decision over war and peace, and this was evident today in the cabinet session. For the first time, the army has full authority in southern Litani.”
He continued: “We are working on holding a conference in Paris in February to support the army, which is considered important for strengthening its capabilities through the support of brotherly and friendly countries. Based on the available resources, the army will be able to move forward with its plan to restrict weapons. We are committed to the Arab Peace Initiative, and what protects Lebanon today is that it does not go toward peace alone, but goes together with the Arab countries.”
Salam emphasized that his motto from day one has been “Hands off the judiciary” and “There is no umbrella or protection over anyone,” and that investigations must take their course. “The Raoucheh incident reminded me that there can be no true state without a unified rule of law, and the biggest loser was Hezbollah because it lost its credibility for not abiding by what it had committed to at the time.”
On the economic front, he affirmed: “There is no economy without banks, and our goal is to save the banking sector, not to bankrupt it. We want banks to recover, and investments require restoring confidence in the banking system to get the economic wheel moving. There are 782,000 accounts with under $100,000, representing 85 percent of depositors, and they will recover their deposits in full without any deductions. Banking secrecy has become a curse and a cover for Captagon traders and money laundering operations, which is why we decided to lift it to protect Lebanon. We studied the Central Bank’s figures, available resources, and economic forecasts to reach the draft financial law, and the longer we delay its approval, the more deposits continue to melt away.”
He added: “The issue of improving and raising public sector employees’ salaries is on the government’s main agenda. I was the first to say that the Financial Gap Law is not the optimal or ideal solution, but it is necessary because we cannot continue on the same path, and someone must take responsibility.”
Regarding parliamentary elections, Salam stressed that there is no possibility of postponing them, noting: “The ball is in the hands of the Parliament, and there is still time for it. We are waiting for a decision on the matter, and the government took action when it sent the draft law to Parliament. The government’s mission is to implement the law, and if we were capable of implementing the 16th district provision, we would have done so; therefore, we have proposed the need to amend the electoral law.”
He also pointed out that “more than 400,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their country and have been removed from the General Security lists.”
In an interview with MTV, Salam clarified that “we did not invent the matter of ‘exclusive control of weapons’ in this government; it is mentioned in the Taif Agreement with the phrase ‘extending the state’s authority over all Lebanese territories through its own forces.’ The government has achieved a lot in administration through appointments and regulatory bodies, as well as in the path toward exclusive control of weapons and reclaiming the decision over war and peace, and this was evident today in the cabinet session. For the first time, the army has full authority in southern Litani.”
He continued: “We are working on holding a conference in Paris in February to support the army, which is considered important for strengthening its capabilities through the support of brotherly and friendly countries. Based on the available resources, the army will be able to move forward with its plan to restrict weapons. We are committed to the Arab Peace Initiative, and what protects Lebanon today is that it does not go toward peace alone, but goes together with the Arab countries.”
Salam emphasized that his motto from day one has been “Hands off the judiciary” and “There is no umbrella or protection over anyone,” and that investigations must take their course. “The Raoucheh incident reminded me that there can be no true state without a unified rule of law, and the biggest loser was Hezbollah because it lost its credibility for not abiding by what it had committed to at the time.”
On the economic front, he affirmed: “There is no economy without banks, and our goal is to save the banking sector, not to bankrupt it. We want banks to recover, and investments require restoring confidence in the banking system to get the economic wheel moving. There are 782,000 accounts with under $100,000, representing 85 percent of depositors, and they will recover their deposits in full without any deductions. Banking secrecy has become a curse and a cover for Captagon traders and money laundering operations, which is why we decided to lift it to protect Lebanon. We studied the Central Bank’s figures, available resources, and economic forecasts to reach the draft financial law, and the longer we delay its approval, the more deposits continue to melt away.”
He added: “The issue of improving and raising public sector employees’ salaries is on the government’s main agenda. I was the first to say that the Financial Gap Law is not the optimal or ideal solution, but it is necessary because we cannot continue on the same path, and someone must take responsibility.”
Regarding parliamentary elections, Salam stressed that there is no possibility of postponing them, noting: “The ball is in the hands of the Parliament, and there is still time for it. We are waiting for a decision on the matter, and the government took action when it sent the draft law to Parliament. The government’s mission is to implement the law, and if we were capable of implementing the 16th district provision, we would have done so; therefore, we have proposed the need to amend the electoral law.”
He also pointed out that “more than 400,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their country and have been removed from the General Security lists.”