Lebanon’s Hariri Says his ‘Political Intentions Are Clear’

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri receives a delegation from Iqlim al-Kharroub. Dalati and Nohra photo
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri receives a delegation from Iqlim al-Kharroub. Dalati and Nohra photo
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Lebanon’s Hariri Says his ‘Political Intentions Are Clear’

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri receives a delegation from Iqlim al-Kharroub. Dalati and Nohra photo
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri receives a delegation from Iqlim al-Kharroub. Dalati and Nohra photo

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has said that it was not possible to govern the country amid differences between its different factions.

Lebanon can only be governed through “understanding and cooperation,” said Hariri on Friday.

"We have full confidence in our institutions and the state, but what is happening with the obstacles facing government formation,” it has become clear who is blocking it, Hariri said during a meeting with officials from his Mustaqbal Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party in Iqlim al-Kharroub.

“We have no choice but to work together to preserve each other,” said Hariri, who has been trying for months to form a national unity cabinet.

“My political intentions are clear,” he said, hinting that his rivals had ulterior motives in obstructing the government lineup.

Hariri reiterated that the Lebanese Constitution on the formation of the cabinet is clear.

“It states that the PM-designate forms his government in consultation with the President,” said Hariri.

Yet many sides have no interest in implementing the Taef Accord, he told his visitors.

Unfortunately, last week’s defamation campaign only “hurt Lebanon,” he added.

Druze politician Wiam Wahhab has been at the heart of rising political tension over the last week with a series of verbal attacks on Hariri.

Hariri supporters lodged a legal complaint against Wahhab.

The tension has cast another shadow over efforts to form a new national unity government more than six months since an election, with rival parties still unable to agree on how to share out portfolios in the new cabinet.

The internal security forces said they went to Wahhab's village of al-Jahiliya to take him for questioning after the public prosecutor accepted the legal complaint against him and referred the matter to the police.

In a statement, police said one of Wahhab's aides – Mohamed Abu Diyab - was shot in "random" gunfire by Wahhab supporters and denied the police had opened fire.



Lebanon Braces for Repercussions of Iran-Israel Conflict

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
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Lebanon Braces for Repercussions of Iran-Israel Conflict

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)

Lebanon remained on high political alert amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, as officials worked to assess and contain the potential repercussions of the conflict on the country’s fragile stability.

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian emphasized the importance of Lebanon distancing itself from the conflict.

President Joseph Aoun is closely monitoring the unfolding situation and received briefings on the latest developments and the regional and international diplomatic efforts underway to defuse it.

Aoun is in continuous contact with security leaders, in line with the outcomes of a national security meeting held at the Baabda Palace on Saturday, said a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

The president also oversaw efforts to facilitate the return of Lebanese nationals stranded abroad after airlines canceled flights to Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport and neighboring countries closed their airspace due to the rising regional tensions.

Saudi Ambassador Bukhari met with Grand Mufti Derian at Dar al-Fatwa to extend Eid al-Adha greetings and congratulate him on performing the Hajj upon invitation from the Saudi royal protocol.

The meeting also served as an opportunity to discuss Lebanese and regional affairs.

According to a statement from Dar al-Fatwa’s media office, the officials stressed the need for Lebanon to disassociate itself from the Iran-Israel conflict.

They underscored the urgent need for intensified Arab and international diplomatic efforts to curb the language of war and restore rational dialogue. They warned of the dangerous political, economic, and environmental consequences the continued fighting could have on the region.

Despite ongoing Israeli attacks in parts of Lebanon and repeated violations of UN Resolution 1701, the country, they said, must pursue security, peace, and stability.