Miqati: Rafik Hariri Would've Rejected Some Strife-Inciting Remarks Made near His Tomb Today

Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati on Sunday described as "strife-inciting" some of the statements made earlier in the day at the rally organized by the March 14 camp to commemorate the 6th anniversary of the Cedar Revolution.

Asked by his visitors for his feedback concerning the rally, Miqati said: "May God have mercy upon Martyr (premier) Rafik Hariri's soul, because he would have rejected some of the strife-inciting remarks that were made near his tomb" in downtown Beirut.

"Today, more than ever before, we have become confident that he was the martyr of Lebanon's unity," Miqati added.

Earlier, Miqati reiterated that the Hizbullah-led alliance did not put preconditions when it nominated him and stressed he wanted "to rescue the nation."

He said he did not seek the position. "When I saw what was happening in the country, the deadlock, I said it's time to stand. The real motivation is to rescue the nation."

"There were no preconditions to my nomination," Miqati told TIME magazine. "If I want to change anything about the process of the tribunal, it has to be done in dialogue and with the consensus of all Lebanese."

That may be the case, but members of Hizbullah's coalition certainly expect him to come around to their point of view, said TIME.

"What we want is for him to rescue Lebanon and to protect the Resistance from the indictments," said Development and Liberation bloc MP Qassem Hashem.

"If the tribunal is targeting the resistance, he will reject the indictments," he said.