Hariri Snaps Back at Nasrallah over 'Reckless' Policies, Accusations on New Cabinet
Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri slammed Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday, saying the March 14 alliance will not give his party any legitimacy to its “reckless” policies and will not become a partner with the party in a government that covers its role in Syria.
“We won't give Hizbullah any form of national legitimacy to reckless policies” that shove Lebanon in the region's turmoil, Hariri said in a statement in response to a speech made by Nasrallah earlier.
“Hizbullah won't be able from now on to impose on the Lebanese the conditions of participation in political life,” he said.
He said “Hizbullah has chosen to sacrifice the sovereignty and national unity of Lebanon” in the service of the Assad regime and in response to a decision by the Iranian leadership.
Hariri lamented that Ashura had become “an occasion to support an unjust regime against the oppressed people.”
Earlier, Nasrallah said in a speech marking Ashura that he would keep his fighters in Syria as long as needed to shore up Syrian President Bashar Assad's struggle against rebels seeking to topple him.
"We won't negotiate on the existence of Syria (in exchange for) a handful of ministries," Nasrallah said.
Hariri had issued a statement late Wednesday after a similar speech made by Nasrallah.
“We reiterate that we reject to become partners with Hizbullah in a cabinet that covers up its participation in the fighting against the Syrian people,” said Hariri.
He accused Hizbullah of turning its back at the national consensus reached through the adoption of the Baabda Declaration last year.
Rival leaders from the March 8 and 14 alliances have agreed to distance Lebanon from the region's crisis. But Hizbullah has sent its fighters to Syria to assist troops loyal to President Bashar Assad against the rebels seeking to topple him.
Hariri said however that the March 14 alliance “will not be under any circumstance a partner in any political process that gives Hizbullah a cover to its participation in the Syrian war and its violation of the state's sovereignty.”
Nasrallah said in a speech on Wednesday that a cabinet lineup in which the March 8 and 14 alliances would get 9 ministers each and centrists 6 ministers was the only possible formula.
He also accused Saudi Arabia of asking March 14 to block the formation of a government with a Hizbullah representation.
Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam has so far been unable to form his cabinet over conditions and counter conditions set by the rivals.
But Hariri slammed Nasrallah, saying in his statement that the Hizbullah secretary-general “is either held captive by a circle of illusions and unfounded information or … he seeks to blind Lebanese public opinion.”
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