Mustaqbal Says Dialogue with Hizbullah to Continue 'on Basis of State Sovereignty'
Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc affirmed Tuesday that dialogue will continue with Hizbullah “on the basis of the state's sovereignty and full authority,” reiterating its call for the rival party to withdraw its fighters from war-torn Syria.
In a statement issued after its weekly meeting at the Center House under the chairmanship of former Premier Saad Hariri, the bloc endorsed the “firm” stances voiced by the ex-PM during his BIEL speech on Saturday.
Mustaqbal said Hariri's remarks highlighted “commitment to the goals of the March 14 forces and the continuation of dialogue with Hizbullah on the basis of adherence to the state's sovereignty and full authority.”
“We insist on the state's exclusive jurisdiction over the decisions of war and peace and the necessity of Hizbullah's withdrawal from Syria in order to spare Lebanon the Syrian repercussions resulting from Hizbullah's involvement in fighting alongside the regime,” the bloc added.
On Saturday, Hariri stressed that his political camp “will not recognize to Hizbullah any rights that exceed the state's right to control the decisions of war and peace.”
In its statement on Tuesday, the bloc condemned the celebratory gunfire that accompanied Hariri's speech, urging “legal penalties against the offenders.”
Turning to the issue of the presidential vacuum, Mustaqbal underscored “the need that political forces embark on electing a new president.”
“We hope to reach an end to the presidential void and that the government will be able to return to its work in line with the constitutional and legal norms and without resorting to unconstitutional behavior,” it added.
Separately, the bloc condemned as an "ugly" crime the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Copts in Libya at the hands of a group linked to the extremist Islamic State group.
“We extend condolences to Egypt and laud Egypt's firm confrontation of the phenomenon of criminal terrorism that is threatening the unity of the state and society in Egypt,” it said.
Mustaqbal also emphasized that “there can be no solution” in crisis-hit Yemen without “ending interference in its domestic affairs at the hands of foreign forces.”
“Iran's practices will lead to the fragmentation of the Yemeni society,” the bloc warned.
Y.R.
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