Miqati: Some Sides Aiming to take Lebanon to More Crises by Placing Preconditions to Dialogue

Prime Minister Najib Miqati questioned on Saturday the March 14-led opposition's decision to boycott parliament and government activity, wondering whether it was seeking to block the people's interests.

He said before his visitors: “Placing preconditions over resuming national dialogue, called for by President Michel Suleiman, means that some sides have clear intentions to take Lebanon towards further crises.”

Instead of creating tensions, “all sides must come together and hold dialogue over placing a roadmap for the upcoming phase in Lebanon that will help fortify it against crises surrounding it,” he noted.

“Does street action facilitate a solution to the crisis or lead to more escalation?” asked the premier.

“The opposition has the right to demand the resignation of the government through the steps it sees fit and through adhering to the constitution,” remarked Miqati.

“National duties should not be taken lightly or addressed through whims. They should be tackled through calm and contacts among all powers until a solution is reached,” he added.

“We cannot leave the country hostage to vacuum and chaos,” he stressed.

He therefore renewed the call for the resumption of the national dialogue in order to tackle all pending issues.

“We will continue in our government work and we will not succumb to the harsh campaigns against us because we will only respond to words with actions that benefit the Lebanese and protect the nation,” he declared.

Miqati had held separate talks on Saturday with European Union Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst, Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi, and head of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council Nasri Khoury.

The opposition had announced its boycott of government and parliament work, demanding the resignation of the cabinet in the wake of the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan.

Hasan was killed in a car bombing in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh district on October 19.

The opposition and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat accused Syria of being behind the crime.

The opposition also accused the government, comprised of mainly pro-Syria forces, of covering up the crime.