Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea reiterated during an interview March 14 opposition to Hezbollah’s presence in the upcoming cabinet, stressing that its participation will destroy what was left of the disassociation policy towards the Syrian crisis.
“Hezbollah’s participation in the upcoming cabinet will destroy what was left of the disassociation policy towards the Syrian crisis,” Geagea said in remarks published Friday by Al-Liwaa newspaper.
“Where is the harm if Hezbollah does not participate in the cabinet? The party once formed with no hesitation its own cabinet without the participation of the March 14 forces ,” he added.
He also said that a cabinet without Hezbollah does not mean a cabinet without Shiite representatives.
However, Geagea warned of the consequences of any reaction made by Hezbollah in case it was excluded from the upcoming cabinet.
commenting on Speaker Nabih Berri’s statement that the March 8 alliance was no longer united over internal affairs.
“If Berri’s statements were true and not just a trick as I may have guessed, I hope what he said does take place,” the LF leader said.
Berri, who also heads up the Amal Movement confirmed on Wednesday that the Hezbollah led March 8 alliance which includes the militant group, Amal and the Free Patriotic Movement is no longer a unified group able to negotiate jointly on internal issues stressing that FPM will separately negotiate its share in the upcoming cabinet .
“Each will negotiate on their own terms, that is, the March 8 group which includes Hezbollah, the Amal Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement is no longer a unified group able to negotiate on internal affairs.”
“We agree with Michel Aoun that there are different points of view within March 8 concerning internal matters, especially those related to government formation,” Berri said in remarks published by Al-Joumhouria newspaper on Wednesday.
“We are still in agreement with FPM leader MP Michel Aoun over strategic issues concerning resistance and the struggle with Israel, but when it comes to internal matters we each have our own priorities.” He added
Meanwhile, Geagea reiterated his condemnation of the explosion that rocked the Hezbollah-dominated area of Dahiyeh in Beirut, and described it as a criminal act.
However, he pointed to Hezbollah’s participation in the Syrian conflict as the cause for the attack.
“Hezbollah has brought the bear to its vineyard,” Geagea said in an interview with An-Nahar newspaper.
A little known Syrian rebel group has claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack that hit Hezbollah’s stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut Tuesday, wounding 53 people.
The group, named the Special Forces 313 Brigade, uses the black, red, green and white colors of the flag of the Syrian opposition, and Islamic terminology.
It describes itself as “an independent military formation that fights in Syria for the victory of God’s word.”
However the mainstream rebel Free Syrian Army condemned the attack in Beirut’s mainly-Shiite southern suburbs, describing it as a “terrorist” act.
Berri insists on Hezbollah participation
Speaker Nabih Berri criticized the March 14 leaders over the rejection of Hezbollah’s participation in the cabinet in remarks published on Friday.
“It is impossible to form a cabinet without Hezbollah,” Berri said in a brief interview with Al-Joumhouria newspaper.
The speaker also voiced his fear that “the regional situation does not allow a swift formation of the upcoming cabinet.”
PM-designate Tammam Salam has not yet been able to form a cabinet due to the demand for a veto power by March 8 alliance . Salam has been trying to form a cabinet of 24 ministers with an equal share of 8 seats for each of the 3 blocs ; March 14 , March 8 and the centrists which include the PM designate , president Michel Suleiman and PS leader MP Walid Jumblatt who defected from March 14 following the 2009 elections.
NOW
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