Gemayel Denies March 14 Forces Met in Paris to 'Draw Up Plan for Future'
Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Tuesday denied that the meetings held recently by the March 14 forces in France were aimed at “drawing up a plan for the future,” noting that “there’s no need to agree on a plan, as coordination with former premier Saad Hariri has not stopped.”
In an interview with France 24 television, Gemayel clarified that the meeting he held in Paris with Hariri was aimed at consulting with the ex-PM on “how to deal with a government controlled by Hizbullah.”
Asked about recent reports of an alleged plot to murder Hariri, Gemayel said: “I’m in danger and every politician in Lebanon is in danger, but I strongly believe that (ex-)PM Saad Hariri will return to Lebanon very soon.”
Answering another question, Gemayel said “the March 14 forces don’t need to close ranks because the camp is still united and MP Walid Jumblat’s withdrawal from it happened amid circumstances known to everyone.”
A high-ranking official in the March 14 coalition told al-Liwaa newspaper in remarks published Tuesday that recent meetings held between top March 14 officials and Hariri in Paris were aimed at finding ways to confront the new cabinet “after the constitutional coup entered its second stage.”
The March 14 forces had said that the collapse of Hariri’s cabinet in January was the result of a coup staged by Hizbullah and its allies.
The March 14 official noted that the formation of Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s government was the second stage of the coup.
On Monday, Gemayel held talks with Hariri, who had met with MP Sami Gemayel the day before, An Nahar daily said.
Hariri also met twice with a March 14 delegation that comprised MP Marwan Hamadeh and former lawmakers Fares Soaid, Samir Franjieh and Bassem al-Sabaa, the newspaper added.
The March 14 official told al-Liwaa that the meetings were aimed at discussing how to confront possible sanctions against Miqati’s cabinet that could spill over to other Lebanese officials.
The conferees also discussed the opposition’s platform in the next stage and ways to meet head-on with the government. One of the options would be the formation of a shadow cabinet, the official said.
Al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Jean Oghassabian confirmed to al-Jadeed TV on Tuesday that efforts are underway to form a shadow cabinet.
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