Mustaqbal: Hizbullah Hijacking Presidency, We Hold It Responsible for Any Harm against Our Officials

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday accused Hizbullah of "hijacking the presidency" through its insistence on the candidacy of its ally MP Michel Aoun, as it held the party responsible for any harm against its officials in light of recent statements by Hizbullah officials.

“The bloc once again condemns Hizbullah's continued hijacking of the presidency through its insistence on a sole candidate and its attempt to paralyze the Lebanese democratic system and turn it into one of the regimes of hegemony and oppression,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

Commenting on Aoun's latest presidential proposals, Mustaqbal said his suggestions “require constitutional amendments that cannot be discussed amid the vacancy of the presidential post.”

Accordingly, the bloc called on MPs and political forces to exert efforts to reach an agreement on the election of a new president, warning that any other approach would harm "the interests of Lebanon and its citizens."

On Friday, Aoun blamed the current political crisis on “the limitation of the presidential powers” after the Taef Accord and “the lack of participation by all the Lebanese factions” in the country's political life.

He called for choosing one of four solutions: a two-phased election of the president by the people, a popular referendum that is binding for parliament, a parliamentary vote for the “two most representative Maronite MPs”, or holding parliamentary polls based on a new and balanced electoral law before organizing the presidential vote.

Separately, Mustaqbal condemned as “threats” recent remarks by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and the party's top MP Mohammed Raad, saying they reflect “the magnitude of the dilemma Hizbullah has pushed itself into.”

“The bloc holds Hizbullah fully responsible for any harm against its MPs or the members of al-Mustaqbal movement,” it said.

On Sunday, Nasrallah warned that “al-Mustaqbal and its leaders would be the first victims” if the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front jihadist groups take a foothold in Lebanon.

Last week, MP Raad lashed out at Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi and al-Mustaqbal movement secretary-general Ahmed Hariri. “The last person to talk about the statelet is the justice minister ... and Ahmed Hariri will be held accountable later because he is of a higher rank than Rifi,” Raad said.

Al-Mustaqbal swiftly deplored the lawmaker's statement as a threat, an accusation that was denied Monday by Raad, who clarified that Hizbullah would resort to the judiciary rather than “violence” to hold Mustaqbal's officials “accountable.”

Turning to Nasrallah's remarks on the northeastern border town of Arsal, the bloc slammed his statements as “arrogant and despotic.”

“Nasrallah unilaterally declared the decision of fighting a battle in the Arsal region, usurping the state's sovereignty and the government’s responsibility and disregarding all the stipulations of the Constitution and national charters,” Mustaqbal said.

It also accused Hizbullah of “ignoring all the preparations declared by the Lebanese army with the aim of defending Lebanon and it's borders.”

Nasrallah has warned that Hizbullah would intervene militarily in Arsal's outskirts to oust the militants of the IS and al-Nusra if the Lebanese state fails to do so.

Y.R.