Phalange Party Decides to Keep Ministers in Cabinet, Vows 'Political Confrontation'
The Phalange Party on Tuesday decided to keep its three ministers in Prime Minister Tammam Salam's cabinet despite its reservations over the government's policy statement.
“We ask the Phalange Party's ministers to continue in their political confrontation inside the cabinet,” the party said in a statement issued after an emergency meeting for its political bureau.
“The possession of arms poses a major threat to Lebanon and would lead to the proliferation of militias in all regions and this puts us before two choices: reviving autonomous security or reading the policy statement in an alternative manner that guarantees state's sovereignty,” the party added, in a statement recited by former social affairs minister Salim al-Sayegh.
“We have made moves for the sake of the second option, which is the state,” the party said.
The Phalange's decision came after meetings with President Michel Suleiman and PM Salam.
The party urged the “highest authorities” to “correct the needed points and clarify the ambiguity as recently recommended by the (Maronite) patriarch” Beshara al-Rahi.
“The president, the head of the state, stressed that the policy statement is based on the state's authority and jurisdiction over all political affairs, emphasizing that the statement is in harmony with the Baabda Declaration,” the party noted.
“Suleiman confirmed that he will call for national dialogue once the confidence session (in parliament) ends, which verifies that the issue of resistance is a controversial topic,” the Phalange Party added.
It said Salam had “appreciated” its stance over the policy statement.
“The visits we made have clarified the official interpretation of the policy statement, and this is what concerns us,” the party went on to say.
“We have decided to reject the current ambiguous formula of the policy statement and we consider ourselves not concerned with the principle of ministerial solidarity, but we ask the Phalange Party's ministers to continue in their political confrontation inside the cabinet,” it added.
The party underline that it will continue its “struggle for the sake of the state and its institutions.”
“The cabinet is an essential arena for this struggle and for national dialogue and we must neutralize Lebanon from conflicts and reach the state's monopoly over arms,” it said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel visited President Suleiman at the Baabda Palace a day after holding talks with the prime minister on his party's reservations over the cabinet's policy statement.
Several ministers and lawmakers representing the Phalange accompanied Gemayel to seek clarifications from Suleiman, who told the delegation that “the policy statement focuses on the authority of the state in all political affairs and mainly the defense of Lebanon and the liberation of occupied Lebanese territories.”
The party warned late Saturday that the three ministers representing it in Salam's 24-member government will resign before a parliamentary vote of confidence if the policy statement wasn't amended.
The reservations expressed by the Phalange are on the following clause: "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.”
Gemayel's meeting with Salam was preceded by talks between the premier and Phalange MP Sami Gemayel.
Phalange ministers Sejaan Qazzi and Ramzi Greij also visited Salam at the Grand Serail.
An Nahar daily said that an amended copy of the policy statement was distributed to MPs ahead of the two-day vote of confidence session on Wednesday.
The Phalange MPs are likely to give their confidence to the cabinet.
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