Mustaqbal: Govt. Must Go to Arab League to Stop Syrian Violations
The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday expressed its condemnation and concern over what it called “the escalating violations by the Syrian regime’s forces against Lebanese sovereignty.”
In a statement issued after its weekly meeting under former premier Fouad Saniora, the bloc denounced “the attack against the three fishermen in al-Arida, which led to the martyrdom of teenager Maher Hamad,” warning that “suck attacks will leave the residents of the border areas without jobs.”
“This attack indicates disrespect for the Lebanese state and its independence and sovereignty and for the Lebanese people’s dignity. The Syrian regime’s repeated attacks cannot be tolerated and it is unacceptable to remain silent over them,” Mustaqbal lawmakers said in their statement.
“In the face of the shameful laxity of the government, which did not act or demand an apology over these unacceptable attacks, the Mustaqbal bloc calls on the government to break free of the captivity of foreign hegemony and to go to the Arab League to seek an end to these violations, because it is unacceptable anymore to leave things unaddressed,” they added.
On the other hand, the bloc condemned “the behavior of the Lebanese foreign minister (Adnan Mansour) at the Arab League, as he has become the official spokesman of the Syrian regime.”
The conferees also voice their regret over “the Syrian regime’s negative response to the Arab League’s (new) initiative to resolve the crisis in Syria.”
Syria said Tuesday it will spurn further Arab efforts to resolve its political crisis.
"Enough of the Arab solutions from now," Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said, accusing the Arabs of "plotting" to internationalize the crisis and taking decisions while "knowing that they will be rejected" by Damascus.
His remarks came after the Arab League called on Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to hand over power to his deputy and to clear the way for a unity government within two months, in a surprise weekend announcement.
"We do not want Arab solutions. We said that two days ago when we refused the initiative and when the ministers council decided to turn to the Security Council," said Muallem. "We categorically refused (this proposal)."
"The solution is a Syrian one based on the interests of the Syrian people ... based on the completion of the reform program proposed by President Bashar al-Assad," he told a televised news conference.
Muallem also said Syria had no choice but to confront armed groups the government claims are fomenting violence.
The U.N. says the Syrian regime has killed more than 5,400 people since March.
Source: Naharnet
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