Mashnouq Says Hariri to Maintain Sunni Leadership in Any Elections

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq stressed Sunday that Prime Minister and al-Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri will maintain his leadership of the Sunni community in Lebanon in any parliamentary elections.

“I was one of those calling for confrontation, but PM Hariri told me, through his wisdom, that he will not accept that Lebanon suffer what Syria is suffering,” Mashnouq told a breakfast banquet that was thrown in his honor by Beirut dignitary Ahmed Naji Fares.

“He will maintain his leadership in any elections,” the minister added, referring to Hariri.

“There is another stance that calls for chaos and confrontation, but the region will go through a three-year transitional period before stabilizing, so we either preserve our people and cities through calm and patience or we seek destruction,” Mashnouq said.

He added: “Chaos is nice, but the moment PM Hariri was nominated, I decided to become the interior minister of all Lebanese.”

Despite his alliance with most of the political forces of the northern city of Tripoli in the 2016 municipal polls, Hariri suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of former justice minister Ashraf Rifi.

Rifi has accused Hariri of offering major concessions to the Hizbullah-led political camp while the premier has accused the ex-minister of resorting to a sectarian rhetoric to boost his popularity.