ANSD : Nasrallah plunges Lebanon into crisis

THU 28 - 11 - 2024

Date: Nov 12, 2018
Source: The Daily Star

Nasrallah plunges Lebanon into crisis

_{Hussein Dakroub| The Daily Star}
BEIRUT: Lebanon is poised for a major political crisis following Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah’s insistence that six so-called “independent” Sunni MPs be represented in the next Cabinet, shattering hopes for the formation of a new government soon, political sources said Sunday.

“Following Sayyed Nasrallah’s escalation on the Cabinet formation process, the country appears to be sliding into a major political crisis,” a political source close to the formation process told The Daily Star.

“Nasrallah’s hard line has dashed the prospects for the Cabinet formation soon because of the wide gap that exists between him and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri over the issue of representing the six independent Sunni MPs,” the source added.

Asked whether Hariri could step down in the face of Nasrallah’s escalatory stance, Future Movement MP Mohammad Hajjar told The Daily Star: “All options are open and are on the table for Prime Minister Hariri.” Hajjar declined to comment on Nasrallah’s tough rhetoric, saying Hariri would respond to the Hezbollah leader at a news conference Tuesday.

In a televised speech Saturday, Nasrallah reaffirmed Hezbollah’s support for a demand by six Sunni lawmakers from outside the Future Movement to be represented in the next government.

“We will not join any government in which the six independent Sunni MPs are not represented,” Nasrallah said, addressing Hezbollah rallies held throughout the country to mark the party’s annual “Martyr’s Day.”

“If they [the MPs] are not be represented, we should start all over again. ... We will continue to support the demands of the six Sunni MPs for one year, two years, 1,000 years and until the Day of Judgment. We will not abandon our allies,” Nasrallah added, emphasizing the party’s unwavering support for the case of the six Hezbollah-backed parliamentarians who have met with President Michel Aoun and other leaders to rally support for their demand to be represented in a national unity Cabinet.Nasrallah’s tough stance comes amid staunch opposition by Hariri to name any of those Sunni MPs a minister in the next government from the Future Movement’s share.

Aoun has backed Hariri’s position on the issue, saying that the six Sunni lawmakers did not have a right to representation because they were not part of a unified parliamentary bloc.

Hariri, who was designated on May 24 to form a national unity government representing all the main political parties, had said if Hezbollah and its allies insisted on naming any of the “March 8” independent Sunni MPs a minister, “let them search for someone else to head the Cabinet.”

Hariri, who is currently in France where he is attending the Paris Peace Forum, is expected to respond to Nasrallah’s escalation at a news conference he plans to hold at his Downtown Beirut residence at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Hariri’s trip to France two weeks ago came after the Cabinet formation process seemed imminent, but was stalled by a last-minute hitch over the demand by the six Sunni MPs for representation.

“Hariri is unlikely to step down as prime minister-designate. At Tuesday’s news conference, Hariri will reassert his position, rejecting that any of the six Sunni MPs be named a minister from the Future Movement’s share. He will also hold Hezbollah responsible for the Cabinet formation crisis,” the source close the formation process said.

The source added that despite his escalatory tone, Nasrallah left “a window” to find a solution to the problem when he said that Hezbollah would agree to any decision accepted by the six Sunni MPs regarding their participation in the government.

Caretaker Labor Minister Mohammad Kabbara, who belongs to the Future Movement bloc, said Nasrallah’s escalation had further complicated the Cabinet formation process.

“We were surprised by Sayyed Nasrallah’s hard line. We had expected him to defuse the crisis. Sayyed Nasrallah’s remarks imply that he does not want a government to be formed. Had he wanted the Cabinet formation, he would have softened his stance,” Kabbara told The Daily Star.

Despite the gloomy outlook, Speaker Nabih Berri said there was still a chance to resolve the crisis, now in its sixth month.

“If the crisis aggravates and hits a dead end, it will be difficult to contain it. But I don’t see that the chances [for a solution] are gone,” Berri told visitors at his Ain al-Tineh residence.

He said some crises could be resolved during a period of political escalation and within a short time.

Berri urged rival factions to talk to each other to resolve the Cabinet formation problem.

Berri, who is slated to chair a two-day legislative session Monday and Tuesday to discuss and endorse a raft of draft laws, again warned against attempts to thwart a quorum for the meeting.

“The legislative session will be held as scheduled. I don’t think that the disruption of Parliament is in anyone’s interest. In addition, the disruption is rejected,” Berri added.

Asked how he would react if some blocs insisted on thwarting the session, Berri said: “Let no one play this game with me. Let them try me. I will not allow Parliament to be disrupted and if the need arises, I will call for a legislative session every day.”

In his speech, Nasrallah maintained that a solution to the problem of the six Sunni MPs’ representation lay with the prime minister-designate, whom he called on to negotiate with them.

He took a swipe at the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party for delaying the Cabinet formation for five months in negotiations over the two parties’ shares. “It took the Progressive Socialist Party and the Lebanese Forces four and five months to solve the issue of their representation in the upcoming government.”

Nasrallah’s remarks drew a rebuke from LF leader Samir Geagea, who tweeted: “Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah’s speech yesterday [Saturday] is unacceptable in its form and is illogical in its content.”

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