Saniora Slams Hizbullah, Urges its Withdrawal from Syria to be Included in Cabinet Lineup

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Head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora reiterated on Wednesday that Hizbullah should withdraw from the neighboring country Syria before it participates in any cabinet lineup.

“There are only two options either Hizbullah returns from Syria and we agree on a cabinet formation together or a non-political government would be formed and we resume the all-party talks,” Saniora said in comments published in the Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper.

He stressed that the 9-9-6 formula, which was proposed by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, will only inflict further division and chaos among the rival parties.

“We have already seen the results of such a cabinet lineup,” Saniora stressed.

The Mustaqbal lawmaker pointed out that the main point of contention is “Hizbullah's military involvement in battles in Syria, shifting away from the Baabda Declaration that the party described as merely ink on paper.”

Saniora stressed that “two wrongs don't make it right.”

Asked if a cabinet that doesn't represent the March 14 and 8 alliances would survive, the ex-PM said: “such cabinet could deal with the people's daily interests and security, while we (March 14 and 8 coalitions) resume the national dialogue.”

Endeavors are ongoing to end the cabinet deadlock amid reports that President Michel Suleiman insists on forming it ahead of the Independence Day on November 22 based on any distribution of portfolios as long as the rival parties agree.

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam continuously said that conditions and counter-conditions set by the rival sides have brought his efforts to form a cabinet to a stalemate.

Since his appointment to form a cabinet in April, Salam has been seeking the formation of a 24-member cabinet in which the March 8, March 14 and centrists camps would each get eight ministers.

However, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah expressed support to Jumblat's proposal to form a new cabinet in which the March 8 and 14 alliances would get nine ministers each and six ministers would be given to the centrists – Suleiman, Salam and Jumblat.

This formula prevents a certain party from controlling the government by giving veto power to Hizbullah and its team and another veto power to March 14, he said.

Comments 21
Thumb Roaring-FlameThrower 13 November 2013, 08:32

Dear Mr. Saniora: I've got news for you....! Anyone who tries to exclude the Islamic Secular Resistance of Iran from any government will have his/her hands cut-off. Get it through your thick head: The resistance is here to stay. Now, get used to it. The new policy statement shall stipulate in addition to the holy equation (resistance+people+army) the resistance's presence in Syria is Legal, Necessary, and Temporary. Accept now what Sayyed Hassan (God Bless him and give him plenty of fresh air) has offered you before it's too late. What is available today, might not be available tomorrow. Heed the words of wisdom and let history be kind to you and your blueish party.

Thumb _mowaten_ 13 November 2013, 18:26

saniora is more concerned about protecting the takfiris in syria, then about letting lebanon be functional.

Thumb _mowaten_ 13 November 2013, 18:26

lubnan awwalan!

Thumb FlameCatcher 13 November 2013, 18:37

I think he's more concerned about Lebanon's future than Hezbollah is anyway. Their only preoccupation is Syria and Iran.

Protecting "takfiris" is just one of your accusations to discredit him but I don't see him or Saad building armies to radicalise Lebanon, impose their laws or take over the country ... Hezbollah does !

Thumb general_puppet 13 November 2013, 08:40

“We have already seen the results of such a cabinet lineup,”… that is exactly what M8 wants, Lebanon to stay the way it is… no real government, a military that can not enforce their authority and Assad's Stooges in their assigned positions.

Default-user-icon elkazamaza (Guest) 13 November 2013, 11:39

How about 9-9-6? That is 9 for you, 9 for your anti-you and 6 for the jokers? No real government? Assad stooges? Assigned positions? M8 wants? Lebanon stay the way it is? 9=9 is not a valid equality, I guess. men wayn el wa7ad byechtereh mokh la y3abbeh dmegh bobbagha?

Thumb benzona 13 November 2013, 08:59

the king is never elected, I don't expect you to know this.

Thumb mckinl 13 November 2013, 09:26

Saniora is really feeling the heat ... He says the same thing day in and day out, repeating the same old non-negotiable tirade that is sending Lebanon into social and economic chaos ...

Default-user-icon laksahind (Guest) 13 November 2013, 11:00

divine... victory... joke... resistance... but look who's crying!

Thumb benzona 13 November 2013, 09:29

Go read lorientlejour. The great ayatollah of Iran runs an empire worth 95 billion dollars. Most comes from stolen or confiscated estates.

Thumb benzona 13 November 2013, 09:47

1o1 :-)

Thumb FlameCatcher 13 November 2013, 17:27

Hell ... Hezbollah should not be included in any cabinet.

I suggest a cabinet from of M8 / M14 politicians altogether.

Worst case, I can cope with M14 cabinet ! At least M8 will get to see if M14 can govern or not. M14 has never governed without being handicapped by M8 blocking all progressive and reform decisions that hamper their own established mafias...

Missing peace 14 November 2013, 01:05

FT i suggest you look at economic figures before talking with your pityful M8 assumptions, you ll see that M14 despite your blocking of its gvts improved the economy when M8 has been destroying it since it is in power....
poor leech, still useless thing you are....

Missing peace 13 November 2013, 17:41

poor FT... even if you despise olj it is true that your beloved ayatollah has billions of dollars that he did not earn by his salary but by stealing his people! LOL ....
funny you spit on the newspaper but do not deny the info... schizophrenia i believe little leech.....

Missing peace 13 November 2013, 17:43

how can a party ,member of a gvt, be included in a next one , when this very same party does not abide by the policy of the gvt he is part of? LOL
they should never be included as long as they SPIT on lebanese decisions... and those backing it too because it makes them accomplices, tfeh on those traitors....

Missing peace 13 November 2013, 17:51

your beloved khamenei is even richer than the shah was! LOL so good for your M8 propaganda that iranian leaders believe in democracy and taking care of their people! LOL

Thumb _mowaten_ 13 November 2013, 18:31

Setad is a state institution, and is run by the ayatollah indeed, but it doesnt belong to him. the reuters report is all based on allegations and claims but even they admitted :"Reuters found no evidence that Khamenei puts these assets to personal use"

Thumb FlameCatcher 13 November 2013, 18:38

@FT : J'agree :) J'appelle ca du PQ de mauvaise qualité...

You see we can agree on many things ...

Missing peace 13 November 2013, 18:53

oh then SETAD is just like SOLIDERE... a businees corp. but funny how you accuse hariri of stealing lebanese through solidere but not khamenei through setad...

another double standards by Mr doublestandards! LOL

Thumb beiruti 13 November 2013, 19:30

On this, Siniora is correct. There is the Baabda Declaration of non-interference in the Syrian Conflict of which Hezbollah is in open and blatant violation. The new cabinet will adopt a policy statement reflective of the Baabda Declaration of non-interference and if Hezbollah wants to be in the government, then it must adhere to the policy statement.
If Hezbollah will be in the government and cause the policy statement to delete the Baabda Declaration, then Hezbollah is the government and there is no authority in Lebanon but Hezbollah, and worse, this opens the door for open Sunni assistance to Syrian co-confessionalists. This puts Lebanon into the vortex of carnage that is Syria right now.

So, Hezbollah must make a choice, either continued participation in Syria, or participation in the Lebanese Government. Because Hezbollah will not make that choice, do not expect a Council of Ministers or a government in Lebanon any time soon.

Missing peace 14 November 2013, 01:02

poor FT... useles leech as ever..; you are the one crticizing OLJ for the info about your beloved ayatollah not me... i was just reminding you who your idol really is... but of course you prefer to insult and lower others than justifying your allegiance to him... poor thing.... pityful you are...
seems you have a pb with your mother... go and solve your pb at home instead of here....