Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Wednesday stressed that Lebanon is “determined to hold the parliamentary elections on time on May 15, after having secured the necessary funding and accomplished a lot of related preparations.”

Aoun voiced his remarks in a meeting in Baabda with UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka.

Separately, the President told the UN official that “Lebanon was hoping that UN chief Antonio Guterres’ report on the implementation of Resolution 1701… would focus on the repercussions of Syrian displacement on Lebanon, especially that the UN secretary-general had visited Beirut and closely inspected the situation.”

“Some of what was mentioned in the report about the situations of the displaced Syrians did not reflect the reality of what Lebanon is suffering at the various levels due to the presence of around 1.5 million displaced Syrians on its territory,” Aoun added.

“Lebanon can no longer bear such a situation,” the President warned.

He accordingly called on the UN to “provide aid to the Syrians inside Syrian territory to encourage them to return home,” arguing that offering them assistance in Lebanon would encourage them to stay in the country.

Aoun also asked why “this repeated Lebanese demand has been ignored by the international community,” wondering whether some countries intend to keep the displaced Syrians in Lebanon “despite the return of security and stability to most Syrian regions.”