Nasrallah Calls for Improving Political System, Ending Debate on ‘Amending Taef’

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Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday called for “acknowledging the flaws” in the Lebanese constitution and ending the years-old debate in the country over amending the Taef Accord, which ended the 1975-1990 civil war.

Nasrallah called instead for working on improving the Lebanese political system through dialogue and away from sectarian considerations.

“We all want the rise of the State in Lebanon … and in principle none of the Lebanese rejects the rise of the State,” Nasrallah added in a televised speech on the 22nd anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran.

“We believe in a strong and unified state,” said Nasrallah, noting that “the situation in the country is too complicated to introduce a new constitution.”

“The government can appoint individuals to develop the political system in a manner that can accommodate the changes in Lebanon and appease all sides,” Hizbullah number one suggested.

Addressing the current cabinet formation impasse, Nasrallah said Lebanon has always encountered government formation crises.

“We want to aid the Prime Minister-designate (Najib Miqati) and we will not present a proposal that can harm his efforts” to form a new cabinet, said Nasrallah.

“Efforts are underway and we will not stop until we reach a result,” he vowed, during a ceremony organized by the Iranian embassy in Beirut to commemorate Khomeini.

“Some political leaders must realize that Lebanon is not an isolated island in the region,” Nasrallah said.

“We shouldn’t ignore the developments concerning the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and we must preserve the State and its unity and institutions, especially the army,” he added.

On a separate note, Nasrallah called on the Lebanese to “stand by the Palestinian people, regardless of our religious affiliations.”

Timeline
  • 01 June 2011, 18:48

    Nasrallah: We need to return to Khomeini’s teachings and renew our vow to continue in his footsteps and we can only be victorious.

  • 01 June 2011, 18:48

    Nasrallah to the families of Nakba Day martyrs: The blood of your sons at Maroun al-Ras and the Golan Heights will not go to waste as it was shed in order to remind the world of a people whose land has been stolen.

  • 01 June 2011, 18:46

    Nasrallah: We should all stand by the Palestinian people, regardless of our religious affiliations and we should help its people return to their homeland.

  • 01 June 2011, 18:46

    Nasrallah: This agenda, which we defeated in 2006, wants to divide Saudi Arabia. We shouldn’t ignore the developments at the STL and we must maintain the state, its unity, and institutions, especially the army.

  • 01 June 2011, 18:44

    Nasrallah: The Naksa of 1967 established the current tragic Palestinian reality.

  • 01 June 2011, 18:42

    Nasrallah: Some political leaders must realize that Lebanon is not an isolated island in the region as Sudan was divided and Yemen and Libya are under the threat of being divided, while Syria is being prepared for division.

  • 01 June 2011, 18:39

    Nasrallah: The efforts are underway and we will not stop until we reach a result.

  • 01 June 2011, 18:38

    Nasrallah: We have always encountered government formation crises. We want to aid the PM-designate and we will not present a proposal that can harm his efforts. We will not give up despite the current challenges.

  • 01 June 2011, 18:36

    Nasrallah: The government can appoint individuals to develop the system in a manner that can accommodate the changes in Lebanon and appease all sides.

  • 01 June 2011, 18:34

    Nasrallah: The Taef Accord is the product of a settlement and the situation in the country is too complicated to introduce a new constitution and we therefore fear a return of sectarian divisions. So let us acknowledge the flaws in the constitution, avoid talk of committing to the Taef, and work on developing the Lebanese system away from sectarianism.

  • 01 June 2011, 18:31

    Nasrallah: We want the rise of the state in Lebanon and we have seen the results of relying on militias. We believe in a strong and unified state.

  • 01 June 2011, 18:30

    Nasrallah: Iran is called the Islamic Republic of Iran and not Velayat-e Faqih. There have been several efforts in the passed few years to represent it as an oppressive state and these are all lies.

  • 01 June 2011, 18:07

    Nasrallah: Khomeini achieved a complete victory during the revolution, overthrowing the dictatorial Shah. His most important achievement was building the state and replacing the Shah’s regime.

Comments 32
Default-user-icon Borat (Guest) 01 June 2011, 18:37

"There have been several efforts in the passed few years to represent it as an oppressive state and these are all lies. " says the bearded man who wears a dress, speaks by the gun and does not tolerate and criticism

Default-user-icon Pacifier (Guest) 01 June 2011, 19:35

burned the country down, didnt he give an example on may 7th? why didnt he try christian neighboorhoods? he is more than welcome to try but this time you will have thousands of deaths before taking completely our neighboorhoods, i remind you that if it wasnt for the LF and kataeb, the palestinians would have took Lebanon, so as your dear friends the syrians, and you as a chiite would have been buried a long time ago, the only true leader was cheikh bachir, who allied with the devil to save his country when no one would give him weapons, and then rejected a peace at the end which are FACTS because Israel wanted it at the expense of Lebanese Unity, which caused his death in 82 planned by the Mossad and Syria, that was a leader that would go to battle with his soldiers, not a big fat rat that shouts and pretends to be a saint while he is an ally of the devil. I do not like israel or america, but neither do i like Iran and syria and he takes orders from them

Default-user-icon Youssef Haddad (Guest) 01 June 2011, 19:45

The iranian revolution replaced a vicious secular dictatorship with a more oppressive theocracy! Nassrallah either is in denial or he believes that his "Holy" words are powerful enough to dumb our common senses. The Iranian islamic Republic is not a model anyone likes to follow even those crazed masses who applaud nassrallah's speeches. No Khomeiny was criminal and anyone inspired by a criminal is a criminal too.
There is nor room in lebanon for sectarian totalitarianism and however nassrallah tries to show that he is anti sectarian his acts and his declared beliefs proof the contrary.

Default-user-icon Azamat (Guest) 01 June 2011, 19:54

Borat it's not a dress that's a gown and is much prettier than a dress.

Default-user-icon Beiruti (Guest) 01 June 2011, 19:54

His project seems quite clear. He has brought down the government and is not allowing a new one under the present regime to arise. Out of this chaos, he intends to give birth to an Iranian modeled state, but only if the Lebanese are not vigilant to this project.

Fortunately the Lebanese are, if nothing else, vigilant. Inshallah!

Default-user-icon MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) 01 June 2011, 19:57

it's time to go hassin,syria will not be divided,no wayyyyyyyyyyyy,and bilad el arz is encroached in 10452,mr faqih is finished u don't have to tell us,u are not allowed to go upstairs.

Default-user-icon Adonis (Guest) 01 June 2011, 20:09

well hassin our patriarch is right and u should listen to him
increasing the christians in fsi 10 % does not stand in comparison to bring back authority to the christian presidency that taef accord took away

Thumb joeleb 01 June 2011, 20:09

"we want the rise of the state....we have seen the results of relying on militias"...is his head up his behind? Somebody correct me, but I thought Hizbullah is a militia...isn't it? and how does he support the rise of the state when March 8 is doing everything it can to obstruct the cabinet? They say March 14 didn't do much in the past 6 years they were in power...it's becaus HA and the FPM didn't let them, they took over downtown and halted all government work for one and half years, they made sure to get veto power in every government therafter, and obstructed it's work...etc etc...he thinks we are stupid...One more thing, we don't want to support the Palestinians, let them support themselves, and it's because of them that Lebanon is a mess now...let's concentrate on Lebanon first....LEBANON!!!! by the way, if Nasrallah admires the Iranian regime so much, why doesn't take his followers and go live there? It will rid Lebanon from all the trouble....

Missing minawi 01 June 2011, 20:11

Hizballah is an Iranian entity on the Mediterranean sea. Nassrallah serving his master in Qom dutifully. I don't think anyone disagree with the above.

But how about the rest, do anyone cares about independent free country? Don't everyone know what Hizballah stands for after all these years?

Default-user-icon aloush (Guest) 01 June 2011, 20:12

well sayed hassan our patriarch is right and u should listen to him
the current tragic palestinian reality does not stand in comparison to bring back authority to the christian presidency that taef accord took away

Default-user-icon Milo (Guest) 01 June 2011, 20:12

Why do you even waste your precious time listening to fugitives? The whole world denounces Iran, only Iran Syria and hizbo smooches the mullahs. Get real people, religion and politics don't mix, it is a deadly cocktail that takes you backwards in life.

Default-user-icon Nabil (Guest) 01 June 2011, 20:28

Nasralah represents the lebanese majority. It is interesting how Yousef haddad who is a zionist and supports Israel and Borat another zionist thug are very eretated by the HA leader. Good. There is nothing more we Lebanese (majority)
hate than the Israeli enemy.

Default-user-icon Christopher Rushlau (Guest) 01 June 2011, 20:38

Is Lebanon ready for democracy?
The majority is ready.

Thumb anonymouslb 01 June 2011, 21:03

Nasrallah is right about changing the political system.
Bur first he should step down, along with his dirty little comrades from March 8.14...
No more Nasrallahs, Hariris, Aouns, Gemayels, Jumblats... (sorry if I forget anyone) and we will be perfectly fine.

Default-user-icon John (Guest) 01 June 2011, 21:17

Look at the comments here. "let the Palestinians support themselves", "syria, Iran, and HA are most hated in the world", No one should pay attention to this Fugitive." No M14 leader would ever make these statements.

Israel is the only government in the world that has a full time staff inputting phony names on web sites to help their image (as admitted in a Haaretz article by Israeli government). You can tell here who is the Lebanese like Mustapha who has criticized Israel and who are the Israeli enemy ...the rest.

Default-user-icon M.C. (Guest) 01 June 2011, 21:57

Listening to Nasrallah you wonder if Iran is simply a slice of heaven on earth. Here are the facts that Nasrallah purposely ignored:
Major drug trafficking route for heroin in Asia
Major human trafficking (women and children) for prostituation and forced mariages.
Major Aids cases on the rise.
Very low State sector that hinders public service.
Too depended on oil with very small scale workshops and farming as the rest of the economy.
GDP $337 billion
GDP Per Capita $11,200
Labor force 25.7 million with 50 percent in the service sector earning low wages.
18% unemployment (State figure, actual much higher).
20% below poverty line (State figure, actual much higher).
Exchange rate $1.00= IRR10,300 due to high inflation

Let's not debate the corruption, the public treatment at the hands of the government (read A Time To Betray to learn about Iran). Somehow, this doesn't seem to be the examplary country Nasrallah is describing.

Default-user-icon Ado (Guest) 01 June 2011, 22:03

Listen to John he's correct, if you don't believe that the road to Jerusalem goes through Jounieh and that Lebanon should be part of Syria you are an Isreali, that's a fact.

Default-user-icon M14 Supporter (Guest) 01 June 2011, 22:08

John, you are 100% correct. Even though we have big differances with nasrallah, no one in M14 consider him an enemy. M14 like all Lebanese consider the terror state of Israel as Lebanon's only enemy. I do not know who these persons are, but they are not M14.

Default-user-icon Mehdi (Guest) 01 June 2011, 22:13

No point improving Taef because the next step is the Islamic Republic of Lebanon that's what the majority wants.

Default-user-icon MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) 01 June 2011, 22:15

it's ok israeli companies working in iran?

Default-user-icon Nabil (Guest) 01 June 2011, 22:28

Mustapha there are no Israeli companies working in Iran. One Israeli company
denied knowing that their products were reaching Iran. Get the full story. Iran is Israel's nightmare. It is HA who have been resisting Israeli occupation of Lebanon. Hariri tried to build a militia to only kill fellow lebanese.

Default-user-icon Rami (Guest) 02 June 2011, 01:04

Wilayet Elfakeeh is an excellent system that does not have an armed Hassyn hiding in a rat hole with a loose gang destroying every state institution.
Lebanon should adopt the same punishment system they have at Wilayet Elfakeeh:
Cut the necks of those opposing "Mujahedeen Khalk Iran",
Cut the necks of those "jound Allah"
and those other religions.
Yeah, this way we would have gotten rid of all these eloquent trouble makers we have in Lebanon.
He hopes that someone believes in his propaganda.
He is paving the ground for the Islamic State......
You can dream........
You can dream of the "wihdat Elmassyr" with Bashar.....
Get ready to hit the road with him....

Default-user-icon Elie Hadchiti (Guest) 02 June 2011, 01:26

joelb, let me guess? you are a 14 year kid that only visits lebanon once every 2 years? Who else would write such a stupid and ignorant comment? by the way, blaming the pals is such an old game, it doesnt work anymore, we are in this mess because we made it PERIOD. but plz do tell safadi, nazek hariri, samir kassir (rip), johny abdo and other march14 officials who are palestinians with lebanese citizenship that they made this mess if you dare, also give them back the billions they have invested in lebanon. Meanwhile we can pretend to be innocent and continue to fight each other as long as we can blame syrians or palestinians for it right?. March14 are educated, not like you so go educate yourself before you speak as a m14:er.

Default-user-icon John Koura (Guest) 02 June 2011, 02:20

Elie Hadshitty is right we should destroy Lebanon a second time for the sake of the Palestinians, after all it's not a real country but a part of Syria.

Default-user-icon Gebran Sons for Cedar Revolution II in 2013 (Guest) 02 June 2011, 04:05

Some are impressed by Khadafi, others by Assad or Ahmadinajad, still others by Nassrallah... as to normal people they are all different shade of tyrants, surviving on oppression and destruction, a poison to freedom and democracy, indoctrinating children on hate and war. We just have one word for one and all: No one can stop Cedar Revolution II in 2013. Enjoy your 15 min of fame. Your time has come. Bon debarras!

Missing bigdigg 02 June 2011, 05:22

It is funny how some zelous posters (e.g. Youssef Haddad, Borat et al.) show up here only when the article is a speech by Nasrallah or some important Hizbullah figure.

John is absolutely right.

Default-user-icon Abed (Guest) 02 June 2011, 07:51

Nabil, I am astonished how much hate you have for Hariri family in general. I can see from your words that only Nassrallah is working on rebuilding Lebanon!! I swear you are mentally ill man. If it wasn't for Hariri, Lebanon would've been a shit hole place (thanks to your Nassrallah).

Default-user-icon Nonreligious (Guest) 02 June 2011, 16:23

Religions are going to destroy the world if they keep interfeering with politics. If we look back at history What is happening right now is the same but with guns and no swords. This is the 21st Century yet we are witnessing 1st century actions. Nothing has changed at all .Not only Mr Nassrallah but every single lebanese politician is a liar. I do not think there is hope that religions in lebanon can live together as long as there are mullahs sheiks and priests behind the state. Let them go back to their Mosques and churches and preach only love and compassion and leave politics alone to the politicians. What religions states the starvation of people? What God wants people to suffer? What God wants hatred of other religions? Religion is nothing but poison i wish they can find the antidote for it. As long as religions are involved in Lebanon there will be no peace . Look back . History has a lot for people to predict things. Sad .

Default-user-icon Nonreligious (Guest) 02 June 2011, 16:54

Liar liar liar pants on fire.
ooooooooooooooops i ment your dress is on fire.

Default-user-icon Borat (Guest) 02 June 2011, 17:03

Azamat! long time no see!

On a more serious note, and to all the blind worshipers of Nasrallah and his antics, I never insinuated any support for Zionists. It is easy to automatically label anyone who opposes Hizbullah as a traitor and the strategy has worked well so far. I congratulate you.

I cannot argue with other cross-dressing hairy members of Nasrallah gang. They are pre-formatted to that way of thought and only the passing of time - and I mean generations - will modernize their thinking.

What I fail to understand is how educated, civilized and so-called modern people can continue to justify Hizbullah's existence as an independent entity which has a supra-national status and can do as it pleases whilst ignoring the opinion of a large chunk of the Lebanese population (the talk of majority and minority is meaningless in our country’s context).

Continued on next comment

Default-user-icon Borat (Guest) 02 June 2011, 17:04

Continues previous comment

We live in a world (world goes beyond the Middle East for the narrow-minded readers) that is ruled by money, not by weapons. The best way for us to fight is to grow our economy and increase our influence and pressure on world leaders. This is how Israel was created and this is how is continues to exist and - whether we like it or not - prosper.

Instead we continue to watch our self-proclaimed leaders (and one Wiam Wahab) argue on TV while Marcel Ghanem tries to hold them apart... and the rest of us continue to get dumber

Default-user-icon Borat (Guest) 02 June 2011, 17:10

Azamat! long time no see!

On a more serious note, and to all the blind worshipers of Nasrallah and his antics, I never insinuated any support for Zionists. It is easy to automatically label anyone who opposes Hizbullah as a traitor and the strategy has worked well so far. I congratulate you.

I cannot argue with other cross-dressing hairy members of Nasrallah gang. They are pre-formatted to that way of thought and only the passing of time - and I mean generations - will modernize their thinking.

What I fail to understand is how educated, civilized and so-called modern people can continue to justify Hizbullah's existence as an independent entity which has a supra-national status and can do as it pleases whilst ignoring the opinion of a large chunk of the Lebanese population (the talk of majority and minority is meaningless in our country’s context).

Continued on next comment