Former Lebanese president and current Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel said on Thursday that the “ March 8 allies who nominated Prime Minister -designate Najib Mikati should cooperate with him to achieve patriotic goals par excellence, but all we hear from them is obstruction that complicates his mission,” the National News Agency quoted him as saying after meeting with Frances Guy, British Ambassador to Lebanon.
“We want participation in the cabinet , but it must be real. Participation has conditions. It does not mean that we will be the false witnesses in a government,” Gemayel said
Although Mikati’s intentions are good, “the other side is obstructing his efforts ,” Gemayel said.
“We as March 14 forces did everything we should have and met with PM Mikati and conveyed to him complete preparation to preserve the country’s interest and respect international resolutions because they preserve and protect Lebanon.
Mikati’s comments regarding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) investigating the 2005 murder of former PM Rafik Hariri are “reassuring,” but “at the same time there are completely contradictory signals coming from PM Mikati’s allies,” Gemayel said.
Mikati, backed Hezbollah and its March 8 allies , was appointed by president Michel Suleiman as PM-designate to form and head the next cabinet , giving Hezbollah and its allies increased leverage in the country and provoking widespread protests.
The Iranian- and Syria-backed Hezbollah brought down Hariri’s government on January 12 over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s ( STL) indictment which is widely expected to implicate Hezbollah members in the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri in 2005 .
Mikati held two days of talks with parliamentary groups on forming his government last week with the Hariri camp still refusing to join his administration.
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