Mustaqbal MPs: Cabinet Pointed its Sword at International Community

Mustaqbal bloc MP Hadi Hobeish slammed the policy statement of the new cabinet led by PM Najib Miqati, wondering if it was formed to “ignite fire as demonstrated by its policy statement.”

“Finally it was born… But I wish it wasn’t,” he said during policy statement discussions in parliament on Tuesday.

The opposition MP noted that the problem isn’t with a sovereign party, but with former PM Rafik Hariri whom they “have chased when he was a ruler and they’re still chasing him in his grave.”

“They oppose democracy and are trying to reproduce the one-party government,” Hobeish stressed.

The MP added: “We formed a national unity government, however they resigned, therefore toppling it … and now they’re turning over against every charter and agreement.”

He stressed: “The de facto government has pointed its sword at the international community and will put us outside the Arab nations circle.”

He urged Miqati to announce publicly if he refuses the Special Tribunal for Lebanon or not, or if the majority doesn’t want to deal with it.

“The STL enjoyed unanimous support during the national dialogue… Why are they turning against it now?” Hobeish asked

“The policy statement aims at cancelling the STL clause,” he declared.

The MP said: “The army, people and resistance formula gives any citizen the right to have the acquisition arms.”

“We don’t grant our confidence to the weapons and lost legitimacy,” Hobeish stressed.

Meanwhile, Mustaqbal bloc MP Atef Majdalani said during the parliament session: “The cabinet policy statement warns and threatens us against cooperating with international justice.”

He urged the government to “choose the state, not the statelet, and set Lebanon first as we did.”

He said that the other team lost its “credibility,” and that they are “manipulating” the concept of democracy according to their interest.

Mustaqbal bloc MP Mohammed Qabbani said that the Lebanese judiciary was unable to uncover crimes and pressures exerted on it prevented it from achieving justice.

“I want justice and stability and I want a strong and just state that can achieve that, but it appears that this is very unlikely,” he said.

The MP wondered if it was acceptable that the mentality of force reign in Lebanon without learning from passed experiences.

Concerning the cabinet’s commitment to U.N. Security Council resolution 1757, Qabbani said: “Miqati is obligated to announce his clear commitment to it away from ambiguous phrasing and the term ‘in principle’ in the STL clause should be removed from the policy statement.”

After Qabbani's statement Mustaqbal bloc MP Ammar Houri said: “We won’t get bored in asking for the removal of illegitimate arms until the state becomes the only authority.”

He questioned the cabinet’s ability to remain united in not committing to resolution 1757 and not cooperating with the STL.

Houri stated that the theory of “consensual security” can’t survive.

Meanwhile, MP Nabil de Freij said that the cabinet was formed in an undemocratic way, describing the policy statement as an “essay.”

He stressed that the government was formed to strike at the STL."

De Freij demanded the release of the national dialogue records especially those related to the STL and the Palestinian arms outside the refugee camps.

The Mustaqbal MPs withheld their confidence from the government.