Hariri Throws Support behind PM, Says Govt. Fall would 'Plunge Lebanon into Unknown'
Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri on Sunday stressed his support for the stances expressed by Prime Minister Tammam Salam in the wake of Saturday's violent protests, while warning of attempts to “topple the government.”
Condemning “any form of extreme security measures in facing peaceful protests,” Hariri cautioned in a statement against “attempts to drag the country into chaos and the unknown.”
The ex-PM noted that the mission of the government is to “reinforce security and stability and manage the affairs of the state until the problem of the presidential vacancy, which has been going on for over a year, is resolved.”
“This vacancy reflected negatively on the path of the state as a whole and on the work of the government and its tasks of managing public affairs and meeting the needs of people,” said Hariri.
He added: “We admit that there is a deficiency in resolving a national crisis that is affecting every village and city in Lebanon, but protesting against the garbage crisis and demanding a fast solution to it is one thing, and demanding to topple the government and the system is another thing.”
The former premier warned that “toppling the government means toppling the last legitimate stronghold and taking Lebanon into the unknown.”
“We will not allow the collapse of Lebanon and its legitimacy, and we stress at the same time that the garbage crisis will not remain captive of political disputes; it will find realistic solutions in the coming days,” Hariri pledged.
Earlier on Sunday, Salam said he was ready to meet with protesters, admitting that "excessive force" had been used against the demonstrators.
Protesters headed back to central Beirut on Sunday morning, joining those who had spent the night there in tents after evening protests spiralled into clashes with security forces that left more than 50 demonstrators injured.
Protests in recent weeks have called for a comprehensive solution to Lebanon's trash crisis, which has seen piles of waste growing in Beirut and elsewhere since the country's largest landfill shut down on July 17.
But demands posted online on Sunday by the "You Stink" campaign, which has organized recent protests, called for the government's resignation and parliamentary elections.
The group also called for the prosecution of security forces who had fired on protestors and of Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq.
Y.R.
23 August 2015, 17:28
74
Hariri Throws Support behind PM, Says Govt. Fall would 'Plunge Lebanon into Unknown'
that is what Aoun and Hezbollah want..... "Plunge Lebanon into Unknown".
23 August 2015, 21:33
58
Childish scare tactics, he could also have said "plunge lebanon into darkness" but we are already there with the unending power cuts.The trash crisis is only the last drop, the reason why people want this government out is because it has proven it was good for nothing. All they achieved was stalling and regressing, being very happy with their Salman pawn holding both the Prime Minister seat and the President's.
They are parasites and traitors, we can't possibly be worse off without them than with them.
23 August 2015, 22:05
47
hahahaha how predictable, the classical scapegoating attempt. No matter what the facts are, it must be Hezbollah's fault, your washed brain wouldnt have it any other way.
But too bad for you, people who know the first thing about this country and its government know that the HA ministers have nothing to do with this crisis. For your education, there are two hezbollah ministers precisely, one is in charge of industry and the other is a minister of state for parliamentary affairs, both positions are unrelated to the grievances at hand.
23 August 2015, 22:06
48
And no, I know that having the scapegoats resign while the crooks stay in power would be an ideal scenario for you, but it's not going to happen.
24 August 2015, 06:29
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liberty 24 August 2015
ما يشهده وسط بيروت محاولة انقلابية يقودها “حزب الله”
look at the hezbollah thugs in the picture
http://www.lebanese-forces.com/2015/08/24/hezbollah-212/
23 August 2015, 17:54
71
FM Bassil: The best response to the prime minister is taking to the streets for waste, electricity, water, law and partnership, because it seems words are of no use anymore.
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The You Stink campaign has asked security forces to clear the sit-in's square of "infiltrators."
23 August 2015, 18:03
00
Plunge Lebanon into the "unknown"??? Because we're in the "known" right now? Water, electricity, garage, insécurité?
23 August 2015, 19:52
38
Mr Hariri do you really think Lebanon has a government it is time for the people of Lebanon to reclaim their country from the countless dynasties that have ruled it for nearly 70 years Lebanon will only be a true democracy once all the old warlords are driven from government and when truely elected Lebanese govern and are ultimately answerable to the rule of law . We Lebanese don't need hand outs from anyone there are approximately 15 million expatriates of whom there are many wealthy business people who could easily develope lebanon to be what we all dream for it to be.
23 August 2015, 21:35
26
lol t'es vraiment un demeuré toi, toujours a cote de la plaque, mais toujours calé sur ton petit regain de pauvre haineux
23 August 2015, 22:01
36
Et lol, voila l'autre demeuré haineux et sectaire, ou dois-je dire son autre pseudo?
Pour info tu auras beau crasher ton venin comme ça, cachée derrière ton ordinateur, ca ne me fera ni chaud ni froid. Par contre j'aimerais bien te voir oser me dire ca en face, ce serait bien drole.
23 August 2015, 23:27
30
Confirmé? Tu prends vraiment tes obsessions pour des réalités, pauvre type
24 August 2015, 03:35
70
The Aouni are trying to exploit the crisis that their own obstruction and paralysis tactics have created to bring down the last vestige of the government under the Taif Amendments to the Constitution. There is already a void in the Presidency and this effort is aimed at creating a void in the Council of Ministers. No more Council of Ministers, no more Caretaker Government no more Executive Authority. Period.
24 August 2015, 03:40
60
Next, if they do this is to exploit the void to usher in the Hezbollah confessional paradigm of 1/3 Sunni, 1/3 Shia and 1/3 Christian. The gamble is to create a Shia governing majority with a junior Christian partner placed into a permanent minority status, thus cornering the Sunni as a permanent minority. It's a tool disruption of the confessional balancing that has sustained Lebanon through governmental crisis after crisis.
Two bad things will happen if this comes about. First, Christians, institutionalize do as a minority, will leave. Second, Hezbollah is planning on this reaction; the Sunni anticipate it and will join with "whomever" to hold their power I Lebanon vid a vis the Shia.
24 August 2015, 03:44
60
For the survival of Lebanon, the Christians MUST reject Aoun, the FPM and their fraudulent efforts to bring about this outcome as the price he is willing to pay in order to sit in Baabda Palace as President over this deformed monstrosity that would then be Lebanon.
24 August 2015, 09:36
00
Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri is trying to say that this government is better than the unknown? It is unknown what use is this government or the one before or the one after this government if the same politicians continue to control the political system all along.
