Hariri Hits Back at Nasrallah, Accuses Hizbullah of 'Clinging to Power'
Former prime minister Saad Hariri on Tuesday hit back at Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, defending Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and stressing that al-Mustaqbal Movement “has never been an advocate of sectarian strife.”
“There are certain constitutional principles for ousting governments, unless Sayyed Hassan wants to write us a new constitution and wants to teach us that the new method for that (changing governments) is (national) dialogue,” said Hariri after meeting Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi in Rome.
“I don't think that it is appropriate for him to talk in this manner. There are written constitutional principles: either through the resignation of the premier or through losing the parliament's confidence or through the resignation of more than one third of ministers like what happened with the previous government,” said Hariri.
The ex-PM accused Nasrallah of “clinging to power,” warning that “it is clear that the party is willing to do everything in its capacity in order to remain in power.”
Hariri also accused Hizbullah of “interfering in Syria,” voicing regret that “jihadist fighters are being killed everyday while fighting alongside the Syrian regime.”
"How can the government disassociate itself from the Arab consensus on the (newly formed) Syrian opposition coalition?” Hariri wondered, noting that “the government should have rejected this coalition given the fact that there are Hizbullah fighters engaged in combat alongside the Syrian regime.”
Commenting on Nasrallah's remarks that al-Mustaqbal Movement is inflaming Sunni-Shiite strife, Hariri denied the charges, stressing that his movement “has never been an advocate of sectarian strife.”
“Yesterday, Sayyed Hassan was addressing someone he did not name in his speech, but I will name him – al-Hakim (Geagea),” Hariri added.
Geagea “has been telling people that Lebanon should only be governed by the Lebanese, not through any foreign interference,” the ex-PM said, noting that “this approach does not go with the viewpoints of those who are clinging to power, especially Hizbullah.”
In his speech on Monday, Nasrallah accused “some of March 14's Christians” of “seeking a Sunni-Shiite conflict in Lebanon.”
“Some want us to forget our past and want the Lebanese and Arab and Muslim peoples to forget our past. He wants us to forget about his past and he wants the Lebanese and Arabs to forget about his past in order to turn the standards upside down,” said Nasrallah, referring to Geagea.
“The resistance fighters who liberated Lebanon and rescued it from the Israeli era do not need certificates in patriotism from those who were allied with the Israelis and used to storm Lebanese towns alongside Israeli troops,” Nasrallah added.
Hariri hit back at Hizbullah's leader, accusing the party and its allies of “cursing dead people,” invoking the era of civil war and “attempting to stir strife.”
“When we staged an uprising in 2005, we did not do that to allow the Syrian regime to return to the country. We rose up in order to be free and we will remain free,” said Hariri.
“The Lebanese want to live in dignity without needing anyone, not Saad Hariri, nor Hassan Nasrallah, Samir Geagea or anyone else. They want electricity, water, education and health care,” he added.
Hariri stressed that he personally as well as al-Mustaqbal Movement and the March 14 forces "want all the Lebanese to coexist."
"Some must show some modesty and think in a patriotic manner because this country is for everyone,” said Hariri.
"Let them stop challenging us because this confrontaion will not make them achieve anything, as we are not afraid of that and we only fear for Lebanon and we will not bargain over the Taef Accord or Lebanon."
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