Lebanese Ministry of Information
Prime Minister Saad Hariri called Monday on rival Lebanese parties to fully comply with the government’s policy of dissociation from regional conflicts, in the latest attempt to reassure Arab Gulf states infuriated by Hezbollah’s deep involvement in the war in Syria and other regional disputes.
“We have agreed in the government, especially after my return [to Beirut from Saudi Arabia on Nov. 21] on the dissociation policy. This is a very important issue that should be respected by everyone and they should do their duty toward it because it is in Lebanon’s interest and stability,” Hariri said during the sponsoring of a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for the new Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Beirut’s Ramlet al-Baida district.
“We should stay away from all Arab conflicts and we should have a clear position on the dissociation policy. We are an Arab state, part of the Arab system and with Arab unity. And we should underline the dissociation policy [so] that Lebanon attracts all Arabs,” he said.
Hariri, who announced his resignation from Riyadh on Nov. 4, withdrew it following a Cabinet agreement on Dec. 5 that called on all political components of the government, including Hezbollah, to abide by the policy of dissociation from regional conflicts and noninterference in the internal affairs of Arab countries.
At the ceremony, attended by a number of ministers, senior officials and Arab ambassadors, including the UAE Ambassador to Lebanon Hamad al-Shamsi, Hariri said he wanted Lebanon to be a platform for freedoms, business and tourism.
“This is what concerns us and we should maintain our friendly relations with all Arab countries,” the prime minister said.
Describing the event to lay the foundation stone of the embassy as “a blessed day,” Hariri said: “This reflects how the UAE perceives this country and its stability, and the continuous support of the UAE and the Gulf states for Lebanon during all its ordeals.”
“The Gulf states have always regarded Lebanon as a democratic country and always support the Lebanese people regardless of the political parties. Laying the foundation stone of this embassy is a message to all the Lebanese that the United Arab Emirates cares about Lebanon and the political, economic and security situation in it. It tells all Lebanese, regardless of differences, that it supports all Lebanese,” Hariri added.Earlier in the day, Hariri, speaking during a dialogue with bankers and economists at the Beirut Chamber of Commerce, reiterated that the government’s top priority was to maintain the country’s stability.
“Today’s priority in Lebanon is stability – security, political, economic and social stability. We prepared a road map for stability, growth and job opportunities. All this started with the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon held in Paris on Dec. 8, 2017. It will continue in [the] Rome II conference that is expected to be held at the end of February to support the Lebanese Army and the military and security institutions,” Hariri said.
He added that the Paris IV conference is expected to be held in France in April to support economic stability in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the escalating dispute between President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri over a controversial decree promoting a number of Army officers dragged on Monday with no solution in sight as the two leaders refused to budge on their conflicting positions in a monthlong standoff that threatens to throw state institutions into paralysis.
Berri, who arrived in Iran Monday to attend a meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said he had made a proposal to resolve the officers’ decree dispute, hoping it would be accepted by Aoun.
“I have presented a proposal that I think is beneficial for everyone and for Lebanon. It does not hurt anybody and does not give the upper hand to anybody and I hope it will be accepted,” Berri told reporters upon arriving at Tehran airport.
Last week, Berri sent his proposal to Progressive Socialist Party head MP Walid Jumblatt, who later passed it on to Hariri via former minister MP Wael Abu Faour. The proposal calls for the decree to promote a number of Army officers who served under Aoun in the late 1980s to be combined with other decrees in order to secure promotion for all eligible officers in the military corps in one joint decree.
This amalgamated decree would be signed by the defense, interior and finance ministers, before being presented to the prime minister and the president to be signed, a source close Berri told The Daily Star Sunday. The source said Berri was waiting for Aoun’s response to the proposal.
However, Aoun was waiting for Hariri’s return to Beirut to be briefed on Berri’s initiative before announcing his stance on it, an official source at Baabda Palace told The Daily Star Sunday.
Hariri returned to Beirut Sunday night from a private visit to France and was expected to meet Aoun ahead of a Cabinet session set to be held at Baabda Palace Thursday.
Although the president has not yet responded to Berri’s proposal, a senior official of the Free Patriotic Movement said Aoun would not bargain over the combination of decrees as suggested by the speaker.
“The president will not bargain over constitutional and legal issues. President Aoun has signed the officers’ promotion decree because it is a constitutional decree that ensures a right and corrects a flaw that happened with these officers,” former minister Mario Aoun told Akhbar al-Yom news agency.
In what appeared to be a sequel to the decree crisis, an MP from Berri’s parliamentary bloc lashed out at FPM leader and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, a day after he appeared to criticize Berri for dismissing the officers’ decree as “a flagrant violation” of the Constitution.
Addressing Bassil, MP Ali Bazzi said: “No, your Excellency, partnership was and will remain in good shape as long as it is kept away from commercial logic, a logic which unfortunately is dominating the performance and conduct of your movement [FPM] in all sectors of the state and administration.”
