Report: Hariri's Decision to Roll Back Resignation 'Conditional'

Prime Minister Saad Hariri's decision to reconsider his resignation is “conditional” and could be attributed to an “inclination to embarrass Hizbullah” and secure the “widest possible support among the Lebanese for his national demands,” Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat reported on Thursday.

Hariri has set three conditions for rolling back his resignation after putting it on hold on Wednesday to pave way for more consultations that will be started by President Michel Aoun.

Unnamed sources in Beirut told the daily that the PM has decided to postpone his resignation to “embarrass Hizbullah and rally more support among the Lebanese for his national demands.”

A well-informed source also told the daily the “conditions to roll back the resignation” are coupled with “maintaining the Taef Accord and to the genuine implementation of the dissociation policy in addition to safeguarding Lebanon's ties with Arab countries.”

The source stressed that Hariri's presence in the government is linked to these grounds.

On Wednesday, Hariri said he was suspending his surprise resignation, pending talks, providing a potential way out of a political crisis that has rocked the country.

Sources close to Hariri said the government will resume its duties, stressing that the “delay means a temporary suspension of the resignation of the government.” They added that Hariri has discussed the grounds for his resignation with Aoun.

For their part, sources familiar with Hizbullah’s position told Asharq al-Awsat that the party is ready for dialogue with an assertion that “the party's weapons will be out of the equation and the discussions will be linked to the defense strategy.”

Lebanon has been thrown into turmoil by Hariri's shock November 4 announcement from Saudi Arabia that he was stepping down, followed by a prolonged absence.

The resignation was seen as a ratcheting up of tensions in the long-running rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and raised fears that Lebanon would be paralysed by regional tensions.

Hours after his arrival back in Beirut, Hariri met with President Michel Aoun, who had refused to accept the premier's resignation until he returned to Lebanon.

Hariri said he hoped his decision would "allow for a responsible dialogue in a serious manner... that would settle disputes."

In announcing his resignation, he had levelled harsh criticism at Iran and its Lebanese ally Hizbullah, saying they had taken over Lebanon and were destabilizing the region.

He also said he had been forced to leave Lebanon because of threats to his safety, invoking the 2005 assassination of his father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

But he left the door open to withdrawing the resignation if Hizbullah group pulled back from involvement in regional conflicts.

Speaking in the evening after meeting parliament speaker Nabih Berri, Hariri called on "everyone" to respect this "policy of distance", saying that would "improve our relations with our Arab brothers ".

Hariri accuses Hizbullah of violating Lebanon's policy of "disassociation" from regional conflicts by fighting alongside Syria's government and assisting Huthi rebels in Yemen.

Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah has said the group was open to talks, though whether any real compromise could be reached remained unclear.

Hariri from House of Center: I shall stay and continue with you, so we can be the defense line for Lebanon, its stability and Arabism

22 Nov 2017

Lebanon - "I shall remain and continue with you, so we can be the line of defense for Lebanon, its stability and Arabism," said Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday, addressing a crowd of supporters and citizens who gathered outside to greet their Prime Minister and welcome him back home.

"Meeting with loved ones and comrades and one's real people is called a moment of loyalty because you teach the world loyalty. This is a moment of truth with you; this is a moment of history and geography, this is a moment of Saad Rafic Hariri's heart...who stands amongst you and for you, to summarize everything in one word: thank you, thank you and thank you!" said the Prime Minister in a sincere and touching gesture of gratitude to the Lebanese.

"I thank all of you, every Lebanese man and Lebanese woman, for understanding the importance of preserving our country's stability and safety of our people in all of Lebanon. I shall say to you, thank God for the safety of Lebanon; thank God for Lebanon and the Lebanese. I will stay and continue with you...We will pursue together being the line of defense for Lebanon and its stability and Arabism," added Hariri reassuringly.

"You will see me in Akkar, Minnieh, Dinnieh, Tripoli, Qalamoun, and all the North, in the Bekaa, all the Bekaa, in Sidon, in the South, the entire South, in the Iqlim, the Shouf, and Mount Lebanon, all over Mount Lebanon...to defend our country, its freedom, its Arabism and its stability," Hariri went on to assert.

"You are at home, at the House of Center...We are people of the center, people of moderation and stability...We have nothing more precious than our country; our principle never changes and our motto remains: Lebanon First!" concluded the Prime Minister.

Hariri Gets Hero's Welcome in Heart of Beirut

After nearly three weeks of an absence cloaked in rumor and mystery, a crowd of ecstatic supporters welcomed Prime Minister Saad Hariri like a prodigal son on Wednesday.

Hundreds of noisy supporters thronged a beaming Hariri at his Beirut home, a few hours after a jet flew him back to Lebanon.

The unprecedented episode in Lebanese politics saw him announce his resignation in a November 4 televised address from Saudi Arabia in which he said he feared for his life.

He also accused Hizbullah and its backers in Tehran of taking over Lebanon and destabilizing the region, sparking fears of an escalation between Sunni and Shiite powerhouses Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Rumors that he was held hostage in Saudi Arabia sparked alarm beyond Hariri's political family and his return late Tuesday after a stop in France saw Lebanon breathe a sigh of relief.

"Saad or nothing", "With you during the good and the bad days" read some of the banners in the crowd that filled the streets around his home in central Beirut Wednesday, which also happened to be the 74th anniversary of Lebanon's independence from France.

Among the supporters, clad in the blue colors of Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement, Mona Sabbagh was struggling to hold back tears.

"We were so worried," she said, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the 47-year-old prime minister's face.

- 'Real family' -

"Now we are all with him, not only Lebanon but the entire world," said this Beirut resident in her forties. "Lebanon is emerging stronger from this."

Hariri had looked tired and worried when he appeared on television from Saudi Arabia but on Wednesday he said he had suspended his resignation.

And when he addressed the crowd his tone was anything but that of a politician about to bow out of the arena.

"This is a day I will never forget," Hariri said, smiling and wearing a sports jacket when he appeared in front of the crowd from his residence's main entrance.

"You are my real family," he said before going on a walkabout among his fans.

"For three weeks, it felt like war time, everybody was wondering where Hariri was, some people had begun packing their bags," said Nada Rabaa, one of those who came to welcome Hariri back home.

Echoing a widespread feeling among the Hariri supporters gathered near his home, the 48-year-old lawyer was full of praise for the key role French President Emmanuel Macron appears to have played in securing the premier's return.

"We obtained our independence from France 74 years ago," she said. "Today is a real Independence Day thanks to President Macron who brought him back."

Many supporters were carrying posters of Hariri. "It's the face of peace," said one supporter who gave her name as Rana.

Ali, from the central village of Barja, said the return of "Hariri has given Lebanon a new lease of life."