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BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri Tuesday said he was unfazed by political bickering in the country and stressed that his relationship with President Michel Aoun was immune to such infighting. In comments to a delegation from the Press Federation at the Grand Serail, Hariri addressed tensions that erupted over the weekend between his Future Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement that Aoun founded.
He spoke of the political settlement that led to Aouns election in October 2016 and to his own reappointment as prime minister in December that year. This settlement is like a Maronite marriage, Hariri told the delegation. Aoun and I made a decision and despite all the political bickering that is present in the country, the communication is ongoing between us.
Telling the delegation that he was here to work, Hariri said that the prevailing political rhetoric would not prevent the government from continuing its job. I assure you that no disagreement will stop our work, Hariri said.
Efforts are underway to defuse the Future-FPM tensions, which stem from a disagreement over Lebanons ties with Syria, among other things. In a phone conversation Monday, Hariri and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil agreed to end the spat.
Bassil, who is also the head of the FPM, launched a tirade late last week against the government and the Future Movement over the Syrian refugee returns. He also lambasted last weeks Brussels conference on Syrian refugees, arguing that meetings that raise money to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis fund the stay of the refugees in host countries instead of their return to their home country. Bassil warned that there will be no government if the refugees are not returned home.
Hariri said Tuesday that all political powers wanted refugees to return, but that the main question was how.
The Syrian refugee issue is an issue for all Lebanese and its not for a certain side or the other. And talk alone doesnt help, we want practical results, Hariri said.
He added that his government remained committed to the policy of dissociation from regional conflicts, and said Lebanons stance on Syria would be based on the Arab Leagues position.
He also rejected the notion that the presence of refugees was fully to blame for countrys economic situation.
The truth is that our problems come from the way we work and this is something that should change. Its not logical that we continue to work using laws that date back to the 50s and 70s, he said.
During its weekly meeting, Futures parliamentary bloc reiterated that the escalation of political rhetoric would only hinder the countrys stability and ... ministerial solidarity.
In addition to making comments on refugee returns, Bassil also stoked tensions with Future by raising the issue of $11 billion in extrabudgetary spending during the tenure of former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who is a member of the Future Movement, from 2005 to 2009.
Hariri indirectly responded to this, saying, Corruption has no identity and there can be corrupt people within all political parties. ... The important thing is that there is a decision that no one will cover those [who are] corrupt.
Bassil echoed Hariris comments during a Tuesday night talk show, saying the corruption campaign did not target a single political party and acknowledging that all parties had corrupt members.
The premier said all political sides were committed to enacting reforms that were set out at the CEDRE conference held in Paris last year, and announced that within the coming few months, all the reforms related to CEDRE will be endorsed.
He also assured the Press Federation delegation that military appointments to fill four vacant posts in the Military Council, including the Army chief of staff, would be made at this Thursdays Cabinet session.
Differences in opinion over the candidates for the positions have delayed the appointment process.
Hariri said a comprehensive plan to revamp the power sector would be discussed by the Cabinet during Thursdays session.
Hariri also spoke about an upcoming visit to Lebanon by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as part of a regional tour that will first take him to Kuwait and Israel. A Baabda Palace source confirmed Pompeo would be in Beirut this Friday, March 22.
Despite speculation that Pompeos visit would focus on offshore oil and gas exploration, Hariri said that he doubted the issue would be at the top of his agenda. Hariri said he expected talks would focus on Iran and Hezbollah, but said he would suggest to Pompeo that the U.S. increase its investments in Lebanon.
En route to Kuwait, Pompeo told reporters he hoped Aoun would distance himself from Hezbollah, according to a statement from the State Department. Asked how he intended to reconcile his upcoming meetings with Aoun and Bassil with the fact that the two are allied with Hezbollah, Pompeo replied: In my business we talk to a lot of people that were hoping to change.
In his capacity as the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Aoun in 2006 signed a memorandum of understanding with Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, establishing a political alliance between the two.
Hezbollah later became a main supporter of Aoun in the 2016 presidential race. Bassil, Aouns son-in-law, succeeded the president as leader of the FPM.
[In] Lebanon ... well spend a lot of time talking with the Lebanese government about how we can help them disconnect from the threat that Iran and Hezbollah present to them, Pompeo said.
He added that U.S. assistance to the Lebanese Army would be among the topics discussed during his visit to Beirut.
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