Nasrallah Lashes Out at Hariri, Says He's against Government Resignation
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday said officials who “relinquish” their responsibilities and decide to resign must be “brought to justice,” adding that he does not support the government's resignation amid nationwide protests calling for politicians to step down over a deepening economic crisis
Nasrallah said that calls for the current national unity government to resign are "a waste of time" since the same political groups will haggle over forming a new one.
He also told demonstrators demanding the term of President Michel Aoun be toppled “you can not topple the presidential term.”
“Those who relinquish their responsibilities and threaten to step down must be brought to justice,” said Nasrallah in a televised speech apparently referring to PM Saad Hariri who addressed the nation Friday as thousands outraged by corruption and proposed tax hikes protested demanding his resignation.
Hariri gave his partners in government a 72-hour ultimatum to come up with "convincing" solutions for a rapidly worsening economic crisis, blaming politicians in his national unity government for blocking his reform agenda at every turn.
“Everyone in the authority and outside the authority must shoulder their responsibility for how things turned out in the country. Some officials are relinquishing their responsibilities and throwing the blame on others and those must be brought to justice,” said Nasrallah.
He added: “You may not rule the country for the last 30 years and turn the blame on others today.”
Urging the Lebanese’ vigilance, he said: “The Lebanese must be responsible enough to counter the economic crisis through vigilance.”
Demonstrators calling for throwing the presidential term of President Michel Aoun, the Hizbullah chief said: “You are wasting your time if you think you can topple the presidential term.”
“Officials must realize the people's inability to tolerate new taxes. Some in power thought that raising taxes can swiftly pass again like before, but the demonstrations relayed a message to officials that they won't tolerate that anymore,” he added.
Nasrallah noted that a number of options are available to counter the economic crisis away from the imposition of new taxes.
He refuted reports circulating about the country’s collapse, “sayings that the country has economically collapsed are totally not true,” he said.
“Everyone mainly the rich must make sacrifices in order to save Lebanon,” he said.
Largescale protests that have targeted the country's entire political class have brought Lebanon to a standstill since Thursday.
Nasrallah warned the protesters against being pulled into political rivalries, saying that would derail their message. He said politicians who shirk responsibility, by quitting the Cabinet while the economy crumbles, should be brought to trial.
Lebanon's prime minister gave his partners in government a 72-hour ultimatum to come up with convincing solutions amid the pressures.
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19 October 2019, 11:59
Nasrallah: You are wasting your time if you think you can topple the presidential term.
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19 October 2019, 11:55
Nasrallah: Shall Hizbullah respond to demands urging us to participate in the demonstrations, we won't back down until our demands are met even if we had to stay for months in the streets.
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19 October 2019, 11:54
Nasrallah: Hizbullah ministers totally reject taxes on the poor.
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19 October 2019, 11:51
Nasrallah to demonstrators: Your demonstrations have born fruit and the fees on Whatsapp were withdrawn. We respect your cries but you must not deviate from your main cause.
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19 October 2019, 11:47
Nasrallah: The demonstrations were spontaneous, nonsectarian and non political until the night.
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19 October 2019, 11:45
Nasrallah: We do not support the resignation of the current government and the luxury of forming a new government does not exist.
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19 October 2019, 11:44
Nasrallah: If the current government fails to address the crisis, no other government can.
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19 October 2019, 11:43
Nasrallah: Hizbullah does not want the current government to resign.
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19 October 2019, 11:40
Nasrallah: Hizbullah did not intend to carry out demonstrations against banks as reports claimed.
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19 October 2019, 11:36
Nasrallah: Everyone mainly the rich must make sacrifices in order to save Lebanon.
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19 October 2019, 11:35
Nasrallah: Addressing the economic situation with taxes will lead to a popular explosion, although the government did not take a decision on new taxes.
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19 October 2019, 11:34
Nasrallah: There are a number of options ahead to counter the crisis without imposing taxes. Saying the country has economically collapsed are totally not true.
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19 October 2019, 11:32
Nasrallah: Officials must realize the people's inability to tolerate new taxes. Some in power thought that raising taxes can pass again like before, but the demonstrations relayed a message to officials that they wont tolerate that anymore.
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19 October 2019, 11:30
Nasrallah: The Lebanese must be responsible enough to counter the economic crisis through vigilance.
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19 October 2019, 11:27
Nasrallah: Everyone must shoulder his responsibility and coordinate efforts to find a solution. You may not rule the country for the last 30 years and turn the blame on others today.
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19 October 2019, 11:24
Nasrallah: The current crisis is not something new, it has been accumulating for the last ten or twenty years.
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19 October 2019, 11:22
Nasrallah: Some officials are relinquishing their responsibilities and throwing the blame on others.
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19 October 2019, 11:21
Nasrallah on demonstrations: Everyone in the authority and outside the authority must shoulder their responsibility for how things turned out in the country.
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19 October 2019, 11:18
Nasrallah marking Imam Hussein's 40-day mourning commemoration.
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19 October 2019, 11:13
Nasrallah: I extend my gratitude to all those who came to Baalbek from various towns in Bekaa and other Lebanese regions.
19 October 2019, 11:12
05
The day this evil iranian sectarian terrorist is brutally and violently murdered is the day we celebrate our true independence.
20 October 2019, 06:54
01
Thanks for clarifying that this regime and government are your puppets. Our economy will never recover as long as there are Hizbollah is armed and control decision of peace and war, as long as they behave as the attack dog to Iran radicals expansion policies, as long as they indoctrinate and manipulate the Shia community into a culture of radicalism foreign to Lebanon. Cedar Revolution 1 kicked the Syrian from Lebanon. Hopefully this is Lebanon's Green Revolution to kick the basij from Lebanon an hopefully being joined by Green Revolution II in Iran to kick out the criminal basij from Iran.
19 October 2019, 11:13
04
Great picture, he looks like an unwashed shia terrorist (Huthi), and that's closer to his true character than the religious uniform he dishonored and desecrated for decades.
As to his speech: nice cartload of BS.
19 October 2019, 12:27
03
There are a number of options ahead to counter the crisis without imposing taxes. Saying the country has economically collapsed are totally not true.
Seriously, reality suggests otherwise and the options you are talking about have yet to be named. Also worth noting, most countries aren't investing in Lebanon because they don't want the money to end up in kizb's hands.
I guess he forgot that last part.
19 October 2019, 14:17
06
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday said officials who “relinquish” their responsibilities and decide to resign must be “brought to justice,”.
JANUARY 12, 2011 / 9 YEARS AGO
Hezbollah and allies resign, toppling Lebanon government
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-hariri-resignation/hezbollah-and-allies-resign-toppling-lebanon-government-idUSTRE70B26A20110112
19 October 2019, 17:33
03
Nasrallah Lashes Out at Hariri
Sure, coz hariri has the majority in government and refers to himself as the 'strong' tenure. Having said that, hariri does deserve lashing.
19 October 2019, 18:11
03
of course he's against his resignation. why then that will take another 11 months to form another corrupt government. Plus he's their best option as he's very very weak and folds quickly when pressured.
