Saniora Slams Hizbullah's Fighting in Syria, Urges Suleiman, Berri, Miqati to Speak out against it

Head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora slammed on Wednesday Hizbullah's fighting in Syria alongside regime forces, saying that those seeking to avert the repercussions of the crisis should not send their youth to fight in the country.

He therefore urged President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Premier Najib Miqati, Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam, and all political leaders and MPs to realize the dangers facing Lebanon.

“They must break the silence and fear and demand that the party withdraw its fighters from Syria,” he declared during the launching of a book by the Mustaqbal Movement in response to another by the Free Patriotic Movement that criticizes the policies of slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri during his tenure at the head of government.

Saniora added: “Hizbullah's involvement in Syria is the greatest danger against Lebanon and its people.”

“It should be a priority for the party to withdraw its fighters from Syria in order to protect Lebanon's civil peace and internal unity,” he said.

“The Lebanese people, families, and mothers do not want their children and fathers to fight in Syria in defense of the country's regime,” remarked the former premier.

“We take pride in the fight against Israel, but we are ashamed of fighting in the defense of a regime that is killing its own people,” he continued.

He deemed as “very dangerous” the involvement of Lebanese groups in Syria with the knowledge of the Lebanese state and its security and political institutions.

“Given these dangerous developments, we are in need now more than ever for a government that would primarily be tasked with holding the parliamentary elections to protect Lebanon and its constitutional institutions,” Saniora said.

To that end, he stressed the need to provide Salam with the necessary support, instead of obstacles and preconditions, to complete his mission to form a new cabinet.

This new cabinet should not be comprised of political members or MP hopefuls, he explained.

“This will facilitate its formation, ease tensions in Lebanon, and pave the way for a new phase in the country during which all massive pending issues may be addressed through dialogue and sound governing,” added the MP.

The new government cannot be comprised of members who represent powers that are taking part in the fighting in Syria, Saniora said.

His efforts to form a new government have stalled over the March 8 camp's alleged insistence to obtain veto power and allow Shiite leaderships to name the sect's ministers.

According to An Nahar daily Wednesday, the coalition has conditioned a 45 percent of seats in the government similar to its weight in parliament and has rejected the rotation of portfolios that Salam had suggested.

Saniora also called for adhering to the policy of disassociation and the Baabda Declaration and implementing them without selectivity in order to keep Lebanon away from regional axes and conflicts.

The Baabda Declaration was unanimously adopted during a national dialogue session in June 2012. It calls for Lebanon to disassociate itself from regional crises, most notably the one in Syria.

Addressing ongoing efforts to reach an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law, Saniora renewed the Mustaqbal Movement's commitment to coexistence in Lebanon and a law that offers fair representation for all sides.

“We back any hybrid law proposal that achieves these goals,” he said of draft laws that combine the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.

“We want to stage the elections as soon as possible seeing as it seems that they may not be held as scheduled” due to the failure to reach an agreement over the vote law, the MP said.

The elections are set for June 16 but are likely to be postponed due to the ongoing disputes over the electoral law.

Berri called on Wednesday lawmakers for a parliamentary session on May 15 to discuss the adoption of a new electoral law.