Miqati, mine is a Lebanese government and is faithful to international resolutions
by Paul Dakiki
On the day of his entrance to the Grand Serail, the new chief of the executive responds to accusations of having formed a cabinet influenced by Damascus. The problem of the likely indictment of members of Hezbollah by the International Tribunal.
Beirut (AsiaNews) - Independence from the Syrian government and loyalty to international resolutions. Today, the day of his entry into the Grand Serail, the seat of prime minister, Najib Miqati (pictured) wanted to reassure the international community and thus meet the objections advanced by the "March 14" minority which defines his government "the worst possible. " In fact the new government is to an extent conditioned by a Syria in crisis and a Hezbollah not only affected by its contacts in Damascus but with the added concern for the possible indictment of its members in connection with the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
"Lebanon – stated Miqati in an interview with the pan-Arab Radio Sawa – is not in conflict with the West nor with the international community"; "Lebanon is a founding member of the United Nations and is part of the Security Council", it "is part of this world and remains faithful to international resolutions. " And again: "This is a Lebanese government" and "I follow the Constitution of Lebanon and my loyalty is only towards my nation and citizens of this nation."
Although on a domestic front the government’s main problem is above all economic recovery, issues related to international politics continue strongly conditioning the life of the executive. Two obstacles present themselves in its path. The first is represented by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (TSL). Backed by the Security Council, the TSL is preparing to make public the names of those who are held responsible, for various reasons, for the attack in 2005 that cost the lives of Hariri and 22 others. According to rumors, among them there may be members of Hezbollah - the main party of the new government - and the Syrian secret services.
And the question of the TSL eventually brought the previous pro-Western government down. Hezbollah asked, in effect, demanded Lebanon’s withdrawal from the tribunal and came to threaten anyone who cooperated. What will it do now?
The second obstacle is the close ties between Hezbollah, and not only, and Syria, when much of the world, including several Muslim countries, accuse Damascus of enacting a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations . A sensitive issue, so that even the President of the Republic, Michel Suleiman, yesterday, said that the government "is one hundred percent Lebanese."
"Lebanon – stated Miqati in an interview with the pan-Arab Radio Sawa – is not in conflict with the West nor with the international community"; "Lebanon is a founding member of the United Nations and is part of the Security Council", it "is part of this world and remains faithful to international resolutions. " And again: "This is a Lebanese government" and "I follow the Constitution of Lebanon and my loyalty is only towards my nation and citizens of this nation."
Although on a domestic front the government’s main problem is above all economic recovery, issues related to international politics continue strongly conditioning the life of the executive. Two obstacles present themselves in its path. The first is represented by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (TSL). Backed by the Security Council, the TSL is preparing to make public the names of those who are held responsible, for various reasons, for the attack in 2005 that cost the lives of Hariri and 22 others. According to rumors, among them there may be members of Hezbollah - the main party of the new government - and the Syrian secret services.
And the question of the TSL eventually brought the previous pro-Western government down. Hezbollah asked, in effect, demanded Lebanon’s withdrawal from the tribunal and came to threaten anyone who cooperated. What will it do now?
The second obstacle is the close ties between Hezbollah, and not only, and Syria, when much of the world, including several Muslim countries, accuse Damascus of enacting a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations . A sensitive issue, so that even the President of the Republic, Michel Suleiman, yesterday, said that the government "is one hundred percent Lebanese."
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See also
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