Future accuses Hezbollah of hijacking presidency

Future Movement parliamentary bloc which is headed by former PM Fouad Siniora accused Hezbollah on Tuesday of “hijacking the presidency” through its insistence on the candidacy of its ally MP Michel Aoun and it held the Iranian backed militant party responsible for any harm against its officials in light of recent statements by Hezbollah officials.

“The bloc once again condemns Hezbollah’s continued hijacking of the presidency through its insistence on a sole candidate and its attempt to paralyze the Lebanese democratic system and turn it into one of the regimes of hegemony and oppression,” said the Future Movement parliamentary bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

Commenting on Aoun’s latest presidential proposals,the bloc said his suggestions “require constitutional amendments that cannot be discussed amid the vacancy of the presidential post.”

The Future Movement parliamentary bloc called on MPs and political forces to exert efforts to reach an agreement on the election of a new president, warning that any other approach would harm “the interests of Lebanon and its citizens.”

On Friday, Aoun blamed the current political crisis on “the limitation of the presidential powers” after the Taef Accord and “the lack of participation by all the Lebanese factions” in the country’s political life.

He called for choosing one of four solutions: a two-phased election of the president by the people, a popular referendum that is binding for parliament, a parliamentary vote for the “two most representative Maronite MPs”, or holding parliamentary polls based on a new and balanced electoral law before organizing the presidential vote.

Separately, the Future Movement parliamentary condemned as “threats” recent remarks by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and the party’s top MP Mohammed Raad, saying they reflect “the magnitude of the dilemma Hezbollah has pushed itself into.”

“The bloc holds Hezbollah fully responsible for any harm against its MPs or the members of Future Movement ,” it said.

On Sunday, Nasrallah warned that “ the Future Movement and its leaders would be the first victims” if the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front jihadist groups take a foothold in Lebanon.

Last week, MP Raad lashed out at Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi and Future Movement parliamentary secretary-general Ahmed Hariri. “The last person to talk about the statelet is the justice minister … and Ahmed Hariri will be held accountable later because he is of a higher rank than Rifi,” Raad said.

Future Movement swiftly deplored Raad’s statement as a threat, an accusation that was denied Monday by lawmaker, who clarified that Hezbollah would resort to the judiciary rather than “violence” to hold Future Movement ‘s officials “accountable.”

Turning to Nasrallah’s remarks on the northeastern border town of Arsal, the bloc slammed his statements as “arrogant and despotic.”

“Nasrallah unilaterally declared the decision of fighting a battle in the Arsal region, usurping the state’s sovereignty and the government’s responsibility and disregarding all the stipulations of the Constitution and national charters,” Future Movement said.

It also accused Hezbollah of “ignoring all the preparations declared by the Lebanese army with the aim of defending Lebanon and it’s borders.”

Nasrallah has warned that Hezbollah would intervene militarily in Arsal’s outskirts to oust the militants of the IS and al-Nusra if the Lebanese state fails to do so.

On Sunday Former Lebanese PM and Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri slammed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah after the latter warned that his group might intervene militarily in the outskirts of the Bekaa border town of Arsal to oust jihadist militants entrenched there.

“We in the Future movement openly declare that the Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions are our guarantee, choice and sanctuary, and any talk of other guarantees is delusional, rejected and an absurd attempt at engaging in suicidal projects,” Hariri said in a statement.

Slamming Nasrallah’s insistence on the so-called army-people-resistance formula, Hariri emphasized that “there is no golden equation to protect Lebanon other than the equation of national consensus and putting an end to the policies of threats, intimidation and raised fists.”