Hariri, Fneish Respond to LF Ministers Remarks on Nasrallah Statements

W460

Two Lebanese Forces ministers on Thursday raised questions about Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s latest remarks about the conflict with Israel.

Describing as “dangerous” Nasrallah’s statement that "there will be no such thing as international borders" if Israel attacks Lebanon, Minister Richard Kouyoumjian urged the government during a Cabinet session to voice a firm stance “clinging to the Blue Line and to U.N. resolution 1701.”

Prime Minister Saad Hariri responded by reiterating a stance he voiced in a TV interview Wednesday about the commitment of Lebanon and the entire government to the resolution.

Kouyoumjian’s remarks also drew a response from Minister Mohammed Fneish of Hizbullah, who said that “some have interpreted the events in a curtailed manner.”

Fneish also emphasized that Hizbullah will respond to any Israeli attack.

Minister May Chidiac of the LF for her part stressed that “the decisions of war and peace should be exclusively placed in the hand of the Lebanese state.”

Minister of Information Jamal Jarrah meanwhile said after the session: “It was a quick session, during which most of the agenda items were adopted. Some items were withdrawn at the request of the ministers concerned. Prime Minister Hariri opened the session with the subject of appointments. Upon his request, the appointments item will, from now on, be placed on the agenda of the Council of Ministers.”

He added: “The Ministers will receive the curriculum vitae of the candidates and will be informed about them with the agenda. The appointments will be made when a decision is taken by the Council of Ministers. This issue has been decided today. No appointments from outside the agenda and Prime Minister Hariri stressed that the appointments should be on the agenda with the resumes sent in advance to the ministers.”

Separately, Jarrah said that the Minister of Education proposed holding a special session of the Council of Ministers to address the educational issue this year due to “the great pressure on public schools and the increasing demands of citizens to register their children in public schools.”

“There will be meetings of the Council of Ministers next week for a preliminary reading of the 2020 draft budget and the Cabinet could hold two meetings next week,” Jarrah added.

Asked whether there will be a mechanism for appointments, Jarrah said: “Some appointments need a mechanism while others don’t, according to what the minister sees.”

As for how the names will be picked, Jarrah said: “The administrations that need appointments will be identified, for example the judiciary, three or four names will be presented with the resumes and will be studied by the ministers before the appointments’ session.”

SourceNaharnet
Comments 2
Missing arturo 05 September 2019, 21:09

Hezbollah controls the LAF -- in fact it is the LAF. If Hariri does not acknowledge this he is delusional. Hezbollah establishes military policy for Lebanon.

Missing phillipo 06 September 2019, 18:33

We all (except the Lebanese Governments) have known this since well before 2006, so why exactly do you expect Hariri to be any different?