President of the Republic, Michel Sleiman, on Friday stressed the need to hold the Presidential election on schedule in a bid to avoid vacuum.

President of the Republic, Michel Sleiman, on Friday stressed the need to hold the Presidential election on schedule in a bid to avoid vacuum.

Sleiman stressed that the new President should be "made in Lebanon", asserting that the name would not be imposed by outside forces.

"It is not required of foreign countries to nominate a new President, but to encourage the Lebanese to hold the election on time.

Sleiman's remarks came on Friday before noon at Baabda Palace in front of a diplomatic delegation.

Moreover, Sleiman highlighted the need to follow up dialogue, implement decentralization, demarcation of the blue line, disarmament of Palestinian weapons outside the Palestinian camps, defense strategy and the STL.

"A group should be organized to pressure the World Bank to aid Lebanon, as Expatriates Minister Gebran Bassil had suggested before," Sleiman added.

The President called on the concerned sides to support the Lebanese Army and provide it with arms to control the situation in the country, "this step should be achieved through the approval of the defense strategy and with the help of the International Community."

Sleiman added that there was an international decision to disarm all the armed groups in Lebanon and render weapons at the state's disposal.

On another hand, Sleiman called on the Cabinet to control the Syrian displacement influx, preserve the Lebanese, and take appropriate measures.

"We refuse the Palestinian and Syrian colonization," Sleiman emphasized, stressing attachment to the Arab peace initiative.