Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri broke his silence on Tuesday and decided to confront the campaigns that are trying to strike him as a victim, targeting him, forging facts, and focusing on the “Political Harirism” to curtail him and his fans.
Via The Daily Star / Ahmad Azakir
During a chat with a small group of reporters, Hariri was asked several questions concerning the current situation and mainly about the formation of the new government and his decisions on different matters.
To the question of whether he might return to the government if the president in charge fails to proceed, Hariri revealed that he can’t work with anyone like Gebran Bassil whose conversation is, according to him, “racist and sectarian” and his actions go beyond the constitution. “I will not work again with Gebran Bassil unless he moderates [his policies],” he stated.
“From the beginning, I accepted and participated in the settlement in the interest of the country and to prevent the void that dominated the country,” Hariri said and went revealing, “I met with Hezbollah to stave off Sunni-Shiite strife and was widely criticized in my street and by my family. I have repeatedly paid the price for moderation.”
When asked if he regrets not taking over the new government, he answered that he has stated that he doesn’t regret and that he’s more comfortable than before, that his conscience is clear and that all his work is to preserve the country. “The presidency is for service, and if you do not find someone who goes with you in saving the country, resignation is the solution […],” he pointed out.
He also shared that the Future Movement party would not be represented in any new government formed by PM-designate Hassan Diab and, for the first time, indicated that the party would not give such a government a vote of confidence in parliament.
Hariri denied accusations that he was behind some rioting by angry supporters in Beirut and other areas. “If I wanted to stir the street, I would have done so with a single speech. All I’m doing is calming the street.”
“They want to throw charges against us, and describe us as ISIS, with a crackdown on “Political Harirism” and accusations of theft and the country’s problems. They do not admit that the Political Harirism has rehabilitated the country from 1992 to 2005,” he said.
“They talk about its burial, and I think they are burying themselves and the stage of prosperity and reconstruction. I know that the next stage will focus on attacking Political Harirism.”
On his relationship with the head of the parliament Nabih Berri, in light of his letter to him and, subsequently, with the “Shiite duo” of Amal-Hezbollah, Hariri explained: “The Shiite duo was keen to nominate me so not to bring the country into strife,” pointing out that his relationship with Nabih Berri is good, and that they met a few days earlier.
“His words are based on his keenness on stability, and we were discussing how to establish political stability to proceed in the measures of economic stability,” Hariri assured.
