Lebanon marked Army Day Friday with politicians emphasizing the importance of preserving the strength and unity of the national military as the region sinks deeper into turmoil. Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri congratulated Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi on the occasion by telephone and stressed the need to support an institution that represents state sovereignty.

“Hariri stressed the need to keep this national institution a haven for all Lebanese in the face of current challenges and a symbol of the monopoly of power in the hands of the state and its legitimate institutions,” said a statement by Hariri’s press office. But Hariri also noted that the celebrations were bittersweet.

“Today, every Lebanese feels a heartbreak, and so does the Army, with its command, officers and soldiers, for celebrating the day of the military institution in the absence of a president, whose position is still empty and vacant, just as the political leaders still lack the initiative to produce solutions and to put an end to the farce of the presidential vacancy,” the Future Movement leader said. [Link]