Lebanon PM resigns- updates

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mikati transfers funds to STLLebanon Prime Minister Nagib Mikati has tendered his resignation after what happened today during the cabinet session.

Mikati made announcement of his resignation at the Serail at 8:40 PM local time .

This comes after Mikati notified the March 8 alliance that he intends to resign and was told that they have no objection against him taking such a step, according to a report by New TV.

Mikati started addressing the media at the grand Serail by joking: “I know you have been waiting for this moment for a long time ”

He said that after the term of Rifi expires the security in the country could suffer greatly and for this reason he felt compelled to ask him to stay.

He added : I feel compelled to take this position and allow flor dialoge and formation of a new cabinet to supervise the elections.

He said that twice he intended to resign . once because of the funding of the special tribunal for lebanon and the other when Wissam Hassan was assassinated.

Progressive Socialist party leader MP Walid jumblatt said Mikati’s resignation was not over Rifi’s term but was aimed at protecting the state institution.

Jumblatt added that he backs the 1960 electoral law since it is the only alternative left .

In an interview with LBC Jumblatt added. “We are concerned that if Rifi’s term is not extended former security chief Ali al Hajj will take his place. We still think that he had a role in the killing of former PM Rafik Hariri , despite the fact that the International Tribunal had ordered their release from jail.”

Jumblatt urged Hezbollah to hand over the suspects in Hariri assassination and to allow them to defend themselves and prove their innocence. He also urged Hezbollah to point its guns at the southern borders instead of supporting the Syrian regime in killing the Syrian people

Background

Mikati was appointed premier in 2011 after Hezbollah and its allies brought down the unity government of Saad al-Hariri.

During his two years in office he has sought to insulate his country from the civil war in neighbouring Syria which deepened Lebanon’s own sectarian tensions and led to street battles in the northern city of Tripoli.

The cabinet failed on Friday to extend the term of Major General Ashraf Rifi, head of Lebanon’s internal security forces, who is due to retire early next month. Mr Rifi, like Mr Mikati, is a Sunni Muslim from Tripoli.

Hezbollah and its allies objected to the extension and also opposed the formation of a supervisory body to oversee a parliamentary election which is due in June. Lebanese politicians have yet to agree arrangements for the poll.

The president and the prime minister said they were not prepared to chair any cabinet meeting if the supervisory body was not on the agenda, ministers said, effectively halting further cabinet meetings.

The Syrian fighting, a tide of Syrian refugees pouring into Lebanon and the country’s own domestic turmoil have also caused a sharp slowdown in Lebanon’s economy and a 67 per cent surge in its budget deficit last year.

According to observers Hezbollah does not want the elections to be held in June under the 1960 law , because this will not secure the majority needed to form its own government and for this reason the party opposed the formation of a supervisory body to oversee the parliamentary election which is scheduled for June and pulled out the rug from under Mikati.

One observer commented by saying” finally Mikati realized that this is Hezbollah’s cabinet and not his cabinet and the one that calls the shots is the Hezbollah chief ”

Reactions

Former Lebanese PM and current Future bloc leader MP Fouad Siniora said that Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s resignation paves the way for dialogue among the country’s different parties.

“The cabinet’s resignation today opened the door to a round of dialogue,” Siniora told Al-Arabiyya television on Friday.

The opposition leader added that the cabinet headed by Mikati “should have resigned a long time ago so it would fix the imbalance it has created.”

Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan insinuated that some political leaders went too far in their reaction to the cabinet not extending the term of Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi.

“Where is the big catastrophe if Rifi’s tenure was not extended, with all due respect? … Should the government [fall]… and the prime minister resign?” the Free Patriotic Movement MP told LBC on Friday.

Marwan Charbel, the interior minister in the resigned cabinet, said on Friday that the security situation will be affected by the absence of the government and voiced his fears that the parliamentary elections would not be held.

“The security situation will be affected by the absence of the government but we will not let things go out of hand until a new one is formed,” Charbel said in an interview with LBC television.

Charbel also said: “I am with the formation of a neutral government that oversees the [parliamentary] elections.”

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea praised Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s resignation, describing it as being a “bold step.”

“In these delicate circumstances, we cannot but praise the bold step former PM Najib Mikati took especially because it followed the March 8 group’s refusal to extend security leaders’ terms,” Geagea said in a statement issued Friday.

He also voiced hope that “President Michel Suleiman takes the initiative as soon as possible to schedule parliamentary consultancies and name a new prime minister.”

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Comments

18 responses to “Lebanon PM resigns- updates”

  1. “Jumblatt urged Hezbollah to hand over the suspects in Hariri
    assassination and to allow them to defend themselves and prove their
    innocence. He also urged Hezbollah to point its guns at the southern
    borders instead of supporting the Syrian regime in killing the Syrian
    people”

    Dream … Dream .. Dream

  2. “Jumblatt urged Hezbollah to hand over the suspects in Hariri
    assassination and to allow them to defend themselves and prove their
    innocence. He also urged Hezbollah to point its guns at the southern
    borders instead of supporting the Syrian regime in killing the Syrian
    people”

    Dream … Dream .. Dream

  3. Prophettttt Avatar
    Prophettttt

    Mikati said that “after the term of Rifi expires the security in the country could suffer greatly and for this reason he felt compelled to ask him to stay.”
    Hasn’t security suffered enough under Rifi?How worse are you afraid it can get,and what could Rifi do to prevent it from getting worse than it already is?
    What accomplishments has Rifi done, ?Name them,please.
    Mikati talks as if the country has enjoyed good security and stability under his leadership and the security leadership of Rifi. Who is he kidding?
    You have been as absent as Hariri was when He was the premier…. We thought He was excused because He was a ‘Hariri”,and because he was an inexperienced kid, but you have no excuses,You choose to be a failure,and you choose to worry about your political future in Tripoli more than your job as the prime minister of all of Lebanon.
    You and the president are taking vacations and business trip while the country’s security is deteriorating, labor union and teachers have taken to the streets , people striking everywhere, unemployment is at its highest,cost of living at its highest,Kidnapping for ransom is at its highest,people walking the streets with weapons,and your security guy,Rifi,is supplying them with weapons, your interior minister, Rifi’s boss, is negotiating with drug dealers/ criminals/ road blockers ,and in plain English; All government services are at their worst. What is this guy talking about?As much as I would have liked to see a cabinet in place, with your resignation, Lebanon won’t loose much more than it would have ,had you stayed on.
    Your whole term has been a disaster . You know you failed,and you are looking for an excuse to resign,and blame others for your resignation. Typical Lebanese politician;Corrupt to the bone,and lying to the teeth.
    Now,I will give you the benefit of doubt for a minute;Let’s say ,for sake of argument, that you insisted on Rifi staying on,and the cabinet went against you,So what? How many times an American president had to withdraw a cabinet nominee when He know congress won’t approve him? How many times an American president insisted on a nominee,and congress rejected that nominee? Did the president resign as a result? You knew they won’t vote him in,but you insisted on a vote. These are the rules of a Lebanese cabinet, and you should live with them.Your insistence on a vote was meant to find an excuse to resign and to look good in front of your sect. Sectarianism at its best,and Self interest at all costs.
    You do remind me of Mini Hariri when his cabinet collapsed; Take it personal. Are you going to leave the country too ,like a spoiled kid whose toy was taken away?
    What if Rifi gets a heart attack(God forbid) tomorrow,OR what if He gets sick? what is Lebanon to do?Are we to believe that the entire security establishment lacks the “expertise” Rifi has?If that is the case, then we’re in bigger trouble. I would like to think that God was generous enough to create an other man who can hold a security position.For God’s sake, Jesus was crucified,and a world religion was born as a result,The prophet Mohammad died,and ISLAM Survived thereafter.
    And what if Ali Al Haj took his place? Not that I’m nominating him myself,but What has Al haj done to disqualify him? He was investigated ,unfairly AND illegally sent to prison for 3 years, and eventually found to be innocent.He was wrongly imprisoned with no official accusation , no indictment, no trial,and not even an official explanation as to why He spent 3 years in prison as a political prisoner…… All that took place while Mikati was the premier.
    Had He done anything wrong, Rifi,as his immediate boss, would have had to fire him .Why wasn’t he fired?
    Al Haj is the highest rank after Rifi at this time. He is still employed, with no duties assigned to him.Since there is no new assignment,He might take this position ,only because he is the highest rank .

    Some one might accuse him of being a Syrian loyalist; but who wasn’t? All Lebanese politicians and officials were Syria whores.Remember all of Mikati’s money and companies were a compliment of Bashar Assad.
    Now that both TAEIF & DOHA have collapsed, and dissociation has ended,what is next?

  4. Prophettttt Avatar
    Prophettttt

    Mikati said that “after the term of Rifi expires the security in the country could suffer greatly and for this reason he felt compelled to ask him to stay.”
    Hasn’t security suffered enough under Rifi?How worse could it get,and what could Rifi do to prevent it from getting worse than it already is? And how worse are you afraid it might get?What accomplishments has Rifi done?Name them,please.
    Mikati talks as if the country has enjoyed good security and stability under his leadership and the security leadership of Rifi. Who are you kidding? You have been as absent as Hariri was. You and the president are taking vacations and business trip while the security is deteriorating,and labor union and teachers have taken to the streets . Unemployment is at its highest. cost of living at its highest. Kidnapping for ransom is at its highest. People walking the streets with weapons,and your security guy is supplying them with weapons. what is this guy talking about?
    Your whole term has been a disaster .
    Let’s say ,for sake of argument, that you insisted on Rifi staying,and the cabinet voted against you,so what? hiw many times an American president had to withdraw a cabinet nominee when He know congress won’t approve him? How many times an American president insisted on a nominee,and congress rejected that nominee? Did the president resign as a result? You knew they won’t vote him in,but you insisted on a vote. These are the rules of a Lebanese cabinet, and you should live with them.
    What if Rifi gets a heart attack tomorrow, what is Lebanon to do?Are we to believe that the entire security establishment lacks the “expertise” Rifi has?If that is the case, then we’re in bigger trouble.
    And what if Ali Al Haj took his place? Not that I would nominate him myself,but What has Al haj done to disqualify him? He was investigated ,and was sent to prison and eventually found to be innocent.He was wrongly imprisoned.

  5. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Tripoli Night Song:
    (a little simple music) All together now children …..

    Chorus:
    Ohhhhh … Who are the takfiris in your neighbourhood, in your neighbourhood, in your neigh..bour..hood;
    Ohh … Who are the takfiris in your neighbourhood? They’re the idiots that you meet; – Alawites and Sunnis in the street; – they’re the idiots that you meet each day.

    Verse:
    Well there’s nothing like an Is-lam-ist, when your Sheik is feeling poor or pissed;
    As they pump lead into the air, it’s just falling anywhere, and you can collect the shells to sell for food.
    (Chorus)

    Verse:
    So you thought that you could run and hide, but an RPG just came inside;
    You better scurry like the rat, and be faster than the cat, or you’ll be taking a Salafi ride.
    (Chorus)

    Verse:
    Now your Mommy calls you underground; where all the other neighbours can be found;
    —— (6 optional 2nd-last lines) —–
    Last time you saw Fatima she had hair; Ignore that guy who’s looking bare:
    And the old folks who are there, sing a chorus of despair:
    A spoon of water lasts an hour; you decide you like Fatima’s daughter:
    You can dream about a school; but step around that small blood-pool:
    You can look the other way, when the strange Shiite begins to pray:
    If you wake after the blast, you watch the concrete settle fast:
    ———————-
    Soon the Army tanks will rumble by.
    (Chorus)

    (copywrite ‘5th’ – 2013)

    1. MeYosemite Avatar
      MeYosemite

      Did you pick a tune for it?

      1. 5thDrawer Avatar
        5thDrawer

        Some may know it from ‘Sesame Street’ … an old forgotten TV show …

  6. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Tripoli Night Song:
    (a little simple music) All together now children …..

    Chorus:
    Ohhhhh … Who are the takfiris in your neighbourhood, in your neighbourhood, in your neigh..bour..hood;
    Ohh … Who are the takfiris in your neighbourhood? They’re the idiots that you meet; – Alawites and Sunnis in the street; – they’re the idiots that you meet each day.

    Verse:
    Well there’s nothing like an Is-lam-ist, when your Sheik is feeling poor or pissed;
    As they pump lead into the air, it’s just falling anywhere, and you can collect the shells to sell for food.
    (Chorus)

    Verse:
    So you thought that you could run and hide, but an RPG just came inside;
    You better scurry like the rat, and be faster than the cat, or you’ll be taking a Salafi ride.
    (Chorus)

    Verse:
    Now your Mommy calls you underground; where all the other neighbours can be found;
    —— (optional 2nd-last lines) —–
    Last time you saw Fatima she had hair; Ignore that guy who’s looking bare:
    And the old folks who are there, sing a chorus of despair:
    A spoon of water lasts an hour; you decide you like Fatima’s daughter:
    You can dream about a school; but step around that small blood-pool:
    You can look the other way, when the strange Shiite begins to pray:
    If you wake after the blast, you watch the concrete settle fast:
    ———————-
    Soon the Army tanks will rumble by.
    (Chorus)

    (copywrite ‘5th’ – 2013)

    1. MeYosemite Avatar
      MeYosemite

      Did you pick a tune for it?

      1. 5thDrawer Avatar
        5thDrawer

        Some may know it from ‘Sesame Street’ … an old forgotten TV show …

  7. hizballah did not want to agree with anyone he can run the country better and he could not get better then general aoun they look like 3 idiot in the pan now lets see how will get it first lets spin that wheel

  8. hizballah did not want to agree with anyone he can run the country better and he could not get better then general aoun they look like 3 idiot in the pan now lets see how will get it first lets spin that wheel

  9. JS_Bach Avatar

    So we have no government now. Dammit!!! >:-[

    Oh wait. It’s not like we had one before, did we? At least it’s official now 🙂

  10. JS_Bach Avatar

    So we have no government now. Dammit!!! >:-[

    Oh wait. It’s not like we had one before, did we? At least it’s official now 🙂

  11. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    From Tripoli Star:
    Hours after the cease-fire was announced, Prime Minister Najib Mikati resignation prompted celebratory gunfire and rocket-propelled explosions in Bab al-Tabbaneh, keeping tensions in the city high.
    An Army soldier was among the six people killed in the latest fighting. Another 28 were wounded during the clashes between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
    (Not mentioning some doctors and damage to a hospital – and the over-worked doctors even now.)

  12. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    From Tripoli Star:
    Hours after the cease-fire was announced, Prime Minister Najib Mikati resignation prompted celebratory gunfire and rocket-propelled explosions in Bab al-Tabbaneh, keeping tensions in the city high.
    An Army soldier was among the six people killed in the latest fighting. Another 28 were wounded during the clashes between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
    (Not mentioning some doctors and damage to a hospital – and the over-worked doctors even now.)

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