Hariri blasts FPM: “Failed to make a single economic achievement in 30 years “

Former PM Saad Hariri blasted on Monday the Free Patriotic Movement, saying it failed to make a single economic achievement over the past 30 years.

“To all those who criticize ‘political Harirism’, especially the FPM, tell me about a single economic achievement for the FPM over the past 30 years,” Hariri said in a chat with reporters that followed a meeting for the al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc.

Noting that he is yet to decide whether he will personally take part in Tuesday’s vote of confidence session, Hariri called on the new government to “implement its policy statement.”

President Michel Aoun is the founder of FPM which is now being run by his son-in-law Gebran Bassil .

“We will not build a destructive opposition but rather a constructive opposition,” Hariri pledged.

Al-Mustaqbal to participate in confidence vote

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc announced Monday that it will take part in a Tuesday parliamentary session to debate Cabinet’s policy statement and vote on confidence in the new government.

The bloc, however, said that it will not grant confidence to PM Hassan Diab’s government because “it has nothing to do with what the Lebanese are demanding.”

“Its policy statement, the same as the budget it adopted, are copied from previous statements and are no longer valid for the current period not for the social, financial, monetary and economic crisis that Lebanon is facing,” the bloc added in a statement issued after a meeting chaired by Hariri.

The bloc also called for “respecting citizens’ right to peaceful expression under the law,” as it urged against “attacks on public and private property.”