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PM holds meeting with President Aoun; attends a military parade in Beirut to celebrate Lebanon’s independence celebrations
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri said on Wednesday that he was suspending his decision to resign as the chief executive of the country at the request of President Michel Aoun to allow for dialogue, easing a major political crisis.
Hariri made his announcement after returning to Beirut for the first time since his November 4 shock resignation in a statement broadcast from Saudi Arabia. He said that all parties must commit to keeping Lebanon out of regional conflicts, a reference to the Hezbollah whose regional role is a source of deep concern in Saudi Arabia.
The prime minister said that he hoped his decision would open a new gateway for a responsible dialogue. “I presented today my resignation to President Aoun and he urged me to wait before offering it and to hold onto it for more dialogue about its reasons and political background, and I showed responsiveness,” Hariri said in a televised statement.
In a triumphant speech outside his residence, Prime Minister Hariri has stood before thousands of supporters, pledging to stay in Lebanon and declaring: “Lebanon First.” He said that there was nothing more precious than “our country.” Sounding very conciliatory, he said he was putting Lebanon’s interest above everything else.
“I am staying with you and will continue with you… to be a line of defence for Lebanon, Lebanon’s stability and Lebanon’s Arabism,” he said. In response to Hariri’s earlier announcement, Cyprus said it would attempt to undertake initiatives to help defuse the crisis in Lebanon. On his way back to Beirut, Hariri had stopped on the island for an unexpected and brief meeting with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades.
In surprise comments from the presidential palace, Hariri said that he was putting Lebanon’s interest first and was looking forward to a real partnership with President Aoun. The presidency said on Wednesday the meeting was also attended by the parliament speaker.
The Al-Akhbar newspaper reported that Hariri’s decision to delay his resignation was linked to an initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi to prevent a government vacuum in Lebanon and to keep Hariri in his post.
Hariri held talks with al-Sissi at the presidential palace in Cairo before his lightning visit to Cyprus. A cryptic statement by the Lebanese leader’s press office later said the two discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the region.
Afterward, Hariri said he had a long conversation with al-Sissi that focused on the need to maintain Lebanon’s stability and the need to keep the country away from all regional policies. The visit to Cairo followed a trip to Paris, where Hariri met with Macron, who is trying to mediate in the Middle East to avert a proxy conflict in Lebanon between different camps.
