Cabinet Adopts Policy Statement amid Reservations of Phalange Party, Rifi

The cabinet on Friday endorsed its policy statement during a session that was delayed for more than three hours for strenuous consultations, as the three ministers of the Phalange Party and Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi voiced reservations over the clause related to resistance against Israel.

“The cabinet has endorsed the policy statement amid the reservations of the ministers of the Phalange Party Sejaan Qazzi (Labor), Ramzi Jreij (Information) and Alain Hakim (Economy), in addition to Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi,” state-run National News Agency reported.

Rifi said he voiced reservations over the resistance clause in addition to the failure to mention “Hizbullah's presence in Syria and the autonomous security that is being practiced in al-Labweh and Arsal and which is threatening the safety of citizens.”

"By the virtue of the state's responsibility to preserve Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the government stresses the state's duty and efforts to liberate the Shebaa Farms, the Kfarshouba Hills and the occupied part of Ghajar (village) through all legitimate means, while stressing the right of Lebanese citizens to resist Israeli occupation, repel its aggressions and regain the occupied land," the policy statement states.

"The president said that we managed to reach an acceptable text and that the statement emphasizes on the state's authority in several clauses and regarding all affairs," Information Minister Jreij told reporters after the meeting.

"Some ministers voiced reservations over some clauses of the statement in terms of failing to link the right to resistance to the authority of the state," he said.

Meanwhile, Labor Minister Qazzi of the Phalange Party said: "We cannot but reject the wording of the resistance clause and we want to emphasize on the authority of the Lebanese state in this regard."

"We have asked to be given until tomorrow to return with a final answer after holding a politburo meeting and all options are on the table," he added.

The cabinet convened around 11:30 p.m. although the meeting had been previously scheduled for 8:00 p.m. The indications swung between optimism and pessimism throughout the long hours that preceded the crucial cabinet session, as Prime Minister Tammam Salam threatened to resign if no agreement was reached over the policy statement.

“Political contacts were held at the highest levels and ex-PM (Saad) Hariri and his adviser Nader Hariri took part in the talks,” LBCI television reported.

“All ministerial sources have said that the solution came in the wake of the BIEL rally,” it said, although the speeches at the ceremony were characterized with a sharp tone.

A bilateral meeting was held between Salam and President Michel Suleiman prior to the cabinet session while another meeting was held between the president, the premier and several ministers, including State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammed Fneish and Heath Minister Wael Abou Faour.

A third meeting was held between Fneish, Public Works and Transport Minister Ghazi Zoaiter, Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil and Industry Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hasan, during which they held phone talks with Hizbullah's leadership.

The row over the resistance clause had led to the failure of a seven-member ministerial panel to reach an agreement over a blueprint despite having held ten meetings. The issue was then referred to the 24-member cabinet, which held a marathon session on Thursday without managing to reach a settlement.

Under the constitution, the cabinet had until Monday to approve a policy statement or else it would have beeb considered resigned. In the face of such a scenario, President Suleiman would have had to call for binding parliamentary consultations to name a new premier.