Nasrallah Says Extension or Elections Better than Vacuum, Hails Mustaqbal Stance on North Clashes
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stressed Monday that his party is “ready” for both parliamentary polls or another extension of the legislature's term, as he lauded the al-Mustaqbal movement's stance on the recent deadly clashes between the army and Islamist gunmen in Tripoli and the North.
“If we don't extend the parliament's term, we would be abolishing one of the state institutions. We only have three choices -- extension, vacuum or elections,” Nasrallah said in a speech marking the tenth night of Ashura at the Sayyed al-Shohada complex in Dahieh, where he defied security concerns and made a rare public appearance.
But he noted that “if we go to an extension, a National Pact violation would arise, because several Christian forces have rejected extension.”
“The normal thing is to hold elections and we're ready for elections if you want it. We are also ready for an extension if you want that but we refuse that the country be deliberately taken into vacuum,” added Nasrallah.
He called on all parliamentary blocs to offer “help” to Speaker Nabih Berri in order to “pull the country out of a major crisis.”
“Paralyzing the parliament would be another blow amid the current presidential void,” Nasrallah warned.
Last year, the parliament extended its term until November 2014 after the MPs failed to agree on a new law and claimed the security situation did not guarantee violence-free elections. A similar extension is set to take place on Wednesday to avoid a further vacuum.
Turning to the issue of the stalled presidential vote, Nasrallah denied that Hizbullah and its allies are obstructing the process and said “we all want the election of a new president.”
“A number of regional states are concerned with the Lebanese presidential election. Some are our allies and some are the allies of the other camp. Can we take back this issue and turn it into a national issue?” Hizbullah's leader urged.
“This step is easy from our side because our regional allies have nothing to do with the current obstruction. We have Iran and Syria, which have announced that they would accept anything that reassures the resistance,” added Nasrallah, blaming the crisis on the rival March 14 camp and its regional backers.
He said that if the local forces want to engage in national dialogue, “they must first liberate themselves from regional vetoes.”
“The main dialogue must take place with our candidate, whose name is Michel Aoun,” Nasrallah added, addressing the March 14 coalition.
The Baabda Palace has been vacant since the expiry of president Michel Suleiman's term in May. The rival MPs failed to elect a new head of state over their differences on a compromise candidate.
The majority of the March 8 camp's lawmakers have boycotted the sessions over their claim that there should be consensus on a candidate first. But their boycott was a clear sign of their rejection of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's candidacy.
Commenting on the deadly fighting between the army and Islamists in the North, Nasrallah noted that “God saved Tripoli and the North from a major plot and tragedy.”
“The army shouldered the main responsibility in confronting this threat, through its command, officers, troops, martyrs and wounded soldiers. We stress our confidence in the military institution, which is the real guarantee for Lebanon and for the existence of the state,” Nasrallah stated.
He emphasized that there is no alternative to the army in “preserving security and stability and in defending the state,” pointing out that “the resistance has never presented itself as the party in charge of domestic security.”
Nasrallah noted that the main factor that helped Lebanon overcome the security crisis in the North was “the behavior of the residents of Tripoli and the North and the political leaders of the dear Sunni community.”
“Had it not been for this honorable and decisive stance from all these Sunni leaders, things in Tripoli and the North would have taken another course,” he said.
“We highly value the stances of the prime minister, the Mufti and the ex-PMs, but the main role was played by al-Mustaqbal movement and its leaders,” Nasrallah underscored.
“We might have very different viewpoints on the regional affairs and things might reach the extent of rivalry and animosity, but our morals oblige us to take the right and patriotic stance and to thank them and appreciate them despite our differences,” added Nasrallah, expressing willingness to engage in “dialogue” with al-Mustaqbal.
In October, the army fought fierce gunbattles with Islamist gunmen in several neighborhoods of the northern city of Tripoli and the nearby regions of Bhannine and al-Mhammara.
Eleven troops, five civilians and several militants were killed in the unprecedented fighting as scores of people were wounded.
The army managed to arrest dozens of gunmen and fugitives during and after the three-day battle.
Y.R.
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