Naharnet

Nasrallah on New Govt.: Meetings Ongoing, All Doors Open to Reach Best Possible Result

Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Monday refrained from commenting extensively on the issue of the ongoing negotiations to form a new government, saying efforts are being exerted to “reach the best possible result for the country.”

“As for the discussions over the government, the designation of a new premier and the government’s line-up and nature, I will not say anything, because the meetings and bilateral and tripartite consultations are ongoing and we are not obliged to announce any stance,” Nasrallah said in a televised address marking Hizbullah’s ‘Martyr Day’.

“All doors are open in order to reach the best possible result for the country,” Hizbullah’s leader added.

Turning to the issue of the fight against corruption, Nasrallah said: “I've been saying that we must capitalize on positivities and there is currently consensus… on the issue of recovering stolen funds.”

“Today, I don’t believe that anyone can protect any corrupt, and there is a real call for combating corruption,” he said.

“The fight against corruption requires honest judges who do not bow to political pressures,” Nasrallah noted, adding that “there are honest and brave judges on whom we can count.”

“I tell judges in the country to emulate the martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the sake of the country. You must be brave and you must not bow to any political or religious leader in the country,” he said.

“In my capacity as Hizbullah's secretary general, I call on the Higher Judicial Council and the competent judges to tackle any corruption file targeting any Hizbullah official... You can start by us,” Nasrallah added.

Moreover, Nasrallah accused the United States and its Lebanese allies of preventing Lebanon from cooperating economically with Iraq, Syria and China.

“The United States is playing a role in the current economic hardships in Lebanon… The U.S. is trying to deepen this (economic) dilemma,” he lamented.

“The Americans are preventing us from dealing with Chinese companies,” Nasrallah said. “Why should we bow to the Americans over something that can rescue our country?” he asked.

Nasrallah added that the recent U.S. sanctions on a Lebanese bank are aimed at “stirring sedition in Lebanon.”

Calling on the Lebanese state to “activate the agricultural and industrial sectors,” Nasrallah said there is “a major chance for the Lebanese agricultural and industrial sectors, which is (exporting to) Iraq.”

“The Lebanese government should agree with the Syrian government over exportation to Iraq,” he urged.

“The Americans are seeking to prevent us from finding markets for our products,” Nasrallah warned.

35 Responding to remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the Iranian influence in Lebanon and Iraq, Nasrallah added: “Where is the Iranian influence in Lebanon? Where is the Iranian influence over banks and the army?”

Source: Naharnet


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