Aoun: Hariri to Stay as Premier, Crisis Will Be Solved
President Michel Aoun stressed on Wednesday that Saad Hariri will stay the Prime Minister of Lebanon as he stressed that the political crisis that followed his resignation will be over within days.
“Hariri will certainly stay the prime minister of Lebanon and the political crisis will be solved in a matter of days,” said Aoun in talks to the Italian daily La Stampa.
“The crisis is behind us now. PM Saad Hariri will continue the path of leadership in Lebanon,” he added.
Turning to Hizbullah and its role in Lebanon, the President said: “Hizbullah has fought the Islamic State terrorists inside and outside Lebanon. When the war against terror ends, Hizbullah fighters will return back home.”
The daily added quoting Aoun as saying that talks between Lebanon's political parties have been concluded and that there is broad consensus.
Aoun had arrived in Rome on Wednesday meeting the invitation of Italian President Sergio Matarella.
The two men are scheduled to hold talks at the Italian presidential palace on the Lebanese-Italian relations and means of developing them in all fields, the National News Agency said.
Aoun will meet Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and a number of Italian officials, it added.
Hariri announced he was resigning Nov. 4, but walked it back after returning home last week.
The original announcement, made from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, was widely seen as orchestrated by Saudi Arabia to pressure Lebanon's politicians into taking stronger measures to contain Hizbullah's influence. Hariri said Monday he wanted to send a "positive shock" across Lebanon through his resignation, and denied that Saudi officials forced him to resign.
Hariri has demanded that Hizbullah remove itself from regional conflicts, from Syria to Iraq and Bahrain and Yemen. Hizbullah denies playing a military role in Yemen but has fighters in both Iraq and Syria.
Hariri said Monday that he will resign if Hizbullah refuses to accept a new power-sharing arrangement for Lebanon, speaking as consultations got underway in Beirut between political leaders over the government's future.
The premier said Hizbullah appeared receptive to dialogue, but said he would resign if the group and Iran did not agree to rebalance Lebanon's political configuration. He did not elaborate on the new arrangement he was proposing.
Source: Naharnet, Agence France Presse
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