Soaid Says March 14 Rejects to Join Government with Hizbullah
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Lebanon's anti-Syria bloc said on Saturday that it refuses to join a government with Hizbullah, a day after it lost an influential member in a Beirut car bombing.
The attack in the heart of the capital on Friday killed seven people including March 14 bloc member Mohammed Shatah. Hours later, the bloc implied it held Hizbullah and its ally Syrian President Bashar Assad responsible.
The attack comes nine months into a major political crisis in Lebanon.
Ever since a caretaker government headed by prime minister Najib Miqati resigned, the country's main political forces have been too divided to agree on a new government.
"Today we propose a government composed of representatives of our camp and of centrists, without Hizbullah," said March 14 general-secretariat coordinator Fares Soaid.
"We have, in the past, participated in national unity governments (with Hizbullah), made compromises, initiated dialogue to try and convince this party to stop resorting to violence and killing to reach its political goals," Soaid told Agence France Presse.
"But the killing machine has not stopped," he added.
"Today we are calling for the creation of a government composed of our group along with centrists, excluding Hizbullah."
Friday's attack came amid deep tensions in Lebanon linked to the conflict in neighboring Syria.
Hizbullah has sent in thousands of fighters to back Assad's troops, defying repeated calls to keep out of the conflict.
March 14 was created in 2005, after the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.
Assad's opponents in Lebanon blame Hariri's killing and that of 12 other high-profile politicians, intellectuals and security officials on the Damascus regime.
Although an international outcry over Hariri's assassination forced Assad to withdraw Syrian troops from Lebanon later that year, Damascus has continued to exert significant influence through its allies.
After Miqati resigned in March, pro-March 14 politician Tammam Salam was named to take his place but the country's deep divisions have prevented the formation of a new government.
Hizbullah has proposed the formation of a national unity government, bringing together its allies, March 14 and centrist ministers.
But Hizbullah and its allies insist they must control key portfolios such as the foreign and interior ministries.
28 December 2013, 18:28
24
that would be a good news for economy if this happens. When ever there was a M14 government, confidence came increased and economy grew. The opposite can be said about M8 governments.
28 December 2013, 18:29
23
what about declaring HizbIran a terrorist organisation and forbid it ?
what about partition from these khomeynist scumbags ?
28 December 2013, 18:32
22
How about a group with only centrists and no Farce 14 and 8? Terrorists, the whole lot of them.
28 December 2013, 18:33
52
"March 14 Rejects to Join Government with Hizbullah" = "We will not share our loot with anyone".
Yeah and this goes both ways. For you spiteful political binary haters.
28 December 2013, 18:42
11
i wish for an all M8 gvt so we ll soon see how inefficient they are and how they are able to lead the country to catastrophe...
28 December 2013, 20:09
01
(1). Maybe at this stage it will be a good decision for all of us Lebanese to finally allow Mr. Tamam Salam, our PM designate, to form his cabinet. In all probability, prudence should dictate our every footstep as a nation and as a people, that Mr. Salam forms an impartial reduced cabinet of technocrats, professionals whose task will be to redress the country, which right now is thick with mutual suspicions between all sides. In fact, all sides need to take 5 and leave all matters of running the country to a cabinet that is not attached to any one single side, quite possibly this will give some time for all parties to cool down and scale down their rhetoric against each other.
28 December 2013, 20:11
01
(2). At the same time, hence when the country is run by Mr. Salam and his cabinet, the country will begin to breathe again and bring back that much needed space for everyone to regain their balance. People in Lebanon have a tendency to forget quickly, once people start feeling better, confidence will follow suite, and hopefully we could also elect a new president in due time or within a small constitutional delay. I believe that we all need the break and this concerns everyone Lebanese, be we M8 or M14. Mr. Salam is a highly respected, experienced and trusted figure, the man has shown enormous patience and resilience, for our sakes all, let us not miss another golden opportunity.
28 December 2013, 20:50
24
Neutral cabinet and inchaAllah Sleiman 2 or some other neutral president.
Please FT and his khmoeynist/assadist cheerleaders, no point losing ur time telling u show saudi, israeli and takfiri sleiman is, repeating a lie 1000 times wont make it truth...
29 December 2013, 00:12
22
1. najib mikati and tammam salam are VERY FAR from the numero uno choice of the Sunnis. Yes Salam is Future Movement but pretty much in the same way Marwan Charbel is FPM. Ya3ni push him one inch and he will be an independent.
2. The Christians are by far the most divided of the sects, thus your dream of putting Aoun on the chair, or my dream of putting Geagea on the chair, whether we like it or not, will lead to boycotts from the other side and cause dead lock.
3. a neutral president does not have to be a neutered one. you don't like suleiman because he took a stance against Assad, but that is far from neutered behavior. furthermore, Suleiman was not an M14 candidate but was put in place as a result of May 7 events ie: Hezbo signed off on him. seems like it was a bad investment as his conscience eventually came through.
29 December 2013, 00:12
22
4. you seem to be certain that a referendum would put aoun in power, i find that notion laughable.
5. you have a problem with M14's relationship with Saudi but have no words when it comes to Hezb and Iran...that is hypocritical and really shows how partisan your argument is.
29 December 2013, 13:36
10
yea, don't answer ft, i know you have nothing of worth to say other than regurgitated propaganda from mayadeen.
28 December 2013, 22:23
00
We should be allowed to be atheism officially and only atheists ruling the country this way we won't have any interest to make any sort of relationship with all the Middle East countries,n then only we will become civilized living in peace and respecting others,who wants to go to the mosque is free to do so and who wants to go to the church is as well free to do so and happy life!!!!!!!we are so sick of all the shit happening in Lebanon.just wanna see Lebanese living their life regardless of the others beliefs..
29 December 2013, 07:46
12
"Today we propose a government composed of representatives of our camp and of centrists".
Hahaha wlak fasharit ya Salafi.
29 December 2013, 08:58
30
sometimes I like reading comments of m8 to see how they think.
in their mind:
- an all m8 cabinet is normal.
- an m14 cabinet is: no way.
what is interesting is their lack f any democratic views :)
what is interesting is their lack of respect for the constitution :)
29 December 2013, 14:01
00
Go eat the excrement of your Ayatolshaytan. I hear al-Kharamini'i produces large turds. According to your Shia Majusi creed, eating the feces of your Imams and drinking their urine brings a blessing.
I hope Tehran is nuked off the map.
You filthy Iranian Majusi cockroach.
