Hariri Says His Nomination for PM 'Not a Favor from Anyone', French Initiative 'Still Alive'
Ex-PM Saad Hariri announced Thursday that his nomination for the PM post would not be a “favor from anyone,” noting that he has a major parliamentary bloc and known representation.
“There are three projects in the country -- that of Hizbullah and the Amal Movement which is linked to foreign forces, another that wants to pull Lebanon out of this crisis and works according to the ‘Lebanon first’ principle, and a third for overbidders who have brought the country to its current state,” Hariri said in a live interview on Lebanon’s MTV.
Noting that the the rotation of ministerial portfolios was Speaker Nabih Berri's idea during the formation of Tammam Salam's government, Hariri said the stances of Hizbullah and Amal were “escalated after the U.S. sanctions after the initial positivity towards the French initiative.”
“Does the finance portfolio deserve torpedoing the rescue initiative for halting the collapse and reconstructing Beirut? We agreed at the Pine Residence that the political parties would keep away from the government and that specialists would be named ministers for the rescue mission,” he added.
“The French initiative has not fallen and (French President Emmanuel) Macron spoke of a mistake that happened but he then said that Saad Hariri had made a brave initiative,” Hariri went on to say.
He also noted that Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Progressive Socialist Party head Walid Jumblat had rejected that he be nominated to form the new government, each for his own “agenda.”
Hariri also revealed that his latest phone call with Jumblat had been “stormy,” disclosing that the PSP leader asked him during the conversation to “accept granting the finance portfolio to the Shiite sect for good.”
Separately, the ex-PM said that the issue of border demarcation with Israel “moved forward due to the sanctions that were imposed on some parties.”
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08 October 2020, 22:41
Hariri: The latest phone call with Walid Jumblat was stormy and he wanted me to accept granting the finance portfolio to the Shiite sect for good.
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08 October 2020, 22:13
Hariri: I’m a nominee for the PM post without that being a favor from anyone and the issue of border demarcation moved forward due to the recent sanctions.
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08 October 2020, 21:47
Hariri: The rotation of portfolios was Speaker Berri's idea when Tammam Salam's government was formed.
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08 October 2020, 21:42
Hariri: The stances were escalated after the U.S. sanctions after the initial positivity towards the French initiative.
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08 October 2020, 21:41
Hariri: Does the finance portfolio deserve torpedoing the rescue initiative for halting the collapse and reconstructing Beirut? We agreed at the Pine Residence that the political parties would keep away from the government and that specialists would be named ministers for the rescue mission.
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08 October 2020, 21:32
Hariri: Hizbullah and the Amal Movement insist on nominating Saad Hariri only to avoid Sunni-Shiite tensions.
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08 October 2020, 21:30
Hariri: The French initiative is still alive.
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08 October 2020, 21:29
Hariri: When Macron came to Lebanon, I agreed with him on the formation of a mission government for six months, whose mission would have been to stop the collapse and rebuild Beirut, but political forces rejected to nominate me.
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08 October 2020, 21:27
Hariri: The French initiative has not fallen and Macron spoke of a mistake that happened but he then said that Saad Hariri had made a brave initiative.
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08 October 2020, 21:24
Hariri: There are three projects in the country -- that of Hizbullah and the Amal Movement which is linked to foreign forces, another that wants to pull Lebanon out of this crisis and works according to the ‘Lebanon first’ principle, and a third for overbidders who have brought the country to its current state.
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08 October 2020, 21:19
Hariri: Arms have imposed some unacceptable equations on the Lebanese.
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08 October 2020, 21:18
Hariri: Any constitution in the world cannot succeed in the presence of parties that impose things through force.
08 October 2020, 22:04
40
Sunni people in Tripoli are shooting celebratory gunfire to Hariris speech.
Mention that Annahar? Not just Shia people do that.
09 October 2020, 00:20
03
All Lebanese are idiots for shooting celebratory gunfire for any cause...
08 October 2020, 23:25
02
And here we go again, as if there are only Hariri, Siniora, Mikati, Salam and the Karami family names to be PM in this country...
09 October 2020, 00:47
01
Dude.. prik.tortugal.bresilient.syriant... The atomic bomb to the Christianity in Lebanon.. happened on the 4th of August.. The whole world saw it... Did you not know.. that Acharafieh.. Gemmayze.. Medawar.. Saifi.. are the gateway and beating heart.. of the Christians in Lebanon?.. The place from where.. the killers.. of the Christians in Levant.. tried to enter.. and conquer... You did not say anything then.. not even a word of condolence or concern... Is this not a tradition in the community of cretins you belong to? Where you too busy making Baraze2?.. BARAZE2!!!!
09 October 2020, 01:19
00
Dude.. prik.tortugal.bresyriant... I just noticed.. on another story.. one dude complaining that Christians in Lebanon.. get more than their share... Go tell him all about.. the integration of 2 million Meca refugie.. and how USA+France+whaabis dogs are the killers of the cristhians.. and how Facts are facts!.. Seriously dude.. go introduce yourself.. you'll never know.. he might be a cretin like yourself.. looking for love...
09 October 2020, 12:43
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So... let me get this right...
He left because of the thawra...
He said he will not be a candidate...
Now he wants to come back because he is the only option?
Can't he just resign from the political life and make space for young, clean, ambitious Sunni Technocrats?
