PSP: Half of Lebanon that was in the rally could not be ignored

According to local reports , Progressive Socialist Party official website commented on Sunday’s rally by saying: “The Half of Lebanon that was in the rally could not be ignored or allowed to be unnoticed despite the slogans and some of the provocative remarks that were made”.

PSP which reportedly described the gathering as a huge demonstration said “we cannot ignore their demands specially with regards to the use of arms internally for securing political gains “.

More than one million Lebanese of all faiths… Christians. Druze , Muslim Shiites and Sunnis demanded that Hezbollah be disarmed as they rallied to mark the sixth anniversary the Cedar Revolution, the uprising which inspired the recent revolts in the Middle East, International news agencies reported

The theme at Sunday’s rally is simple:” We want one state …one army to defend the country

lets unite the country and get rid of all the other states and armies .” the organizers said in reference to Hezbollah’s state within the state of Lebanon and the non-state ( illegal) arms.

The rally this year comes after Hezbollah’s military might was blamed for the collapse of the government . The Iranian and Syrian -backed Hezbollah brought down Hariri’s government on January 12 over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) imminent indictment which is widely expected to implicate Hezbollah members in the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri in 2005

Mikati was appointed in January as the PM designate with the backing of the Hezbollah March 8 alliance and MPs Walid Jumblatt and Mohammad Safadi following the collapse of Hariri’s unity government. March 14 leaders have repeatedly said that intimidation from Hezbollah’s weapons helped secure the parliamentary majority for Mikati’s nomination.

Jumblatt and his PSP parliament members reportedly switched allegiance to Hezbollah’s PM candidate, following threats by Hezbollah.

Jumblatt, Mikati and Safadi were all elected on March 14 electoral tickets during the 2009 parliamentary elections.

March 14 parties have announced that they will not take part in the cabinet Mikati is currently forming, and Hariri vowed last week to fight the use of non-state weapons “peacefully and democratically.”

During an interview with Times magazine Mikati denied he is a Hezbollah puppet

Jumblatt who heads the Progressive Socialist Party announced last week that he planned to boycott the rally ( even though he was not invited) but many of his supporters within his PSP and the Druze community were there according to local reports.