Hariri: You'll hear our voices and count our votes in elections
Ex-PM Saad Hariri on Saturday hinted that his al-Mustaqbal Movement might take part in the upcoming parliamentary elections while stressing that its political role has not ended.
"Al-Mustaqbal Movement doesn't see politics as about positions, prestige or flattery! Al-Mustaqbal Movement sees politics as loyalty and defending the dignity of the country, the sovereignty of its 10,452 square kilometers, and the rights of all people -- in every home in the North, the Bekaa, the South and the mountains and in every neighborhood in Beirut and its suburbs," Hariri added at a mass rally in Beirut's Martyrs Square marking the 21st anniversary of the assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri, his father.
"When the demand became that we cover up failure and compromise on the state, we said no and decided to step aside. Because politics at the expense of the country's dignity and the state project has no meaning and no place in our school of thought," Hariri explained.
He added: "We stepped aside, but we are still here, sharing your concerns. We see those who think they can eliminate you, those who have unfortunately turned themselves into daggers to stab me day and night... But my back can bear it, my back is a mountain, because you are my backbone, my support, my pride, my family, and my people!"
"Your humble servant Saad never loses his way, nor does he sell out, buy, or trade in people! Those who try to convince you that Rafik Hariri's school has closed its doors, that al-Mustaqbal Movement's future is behind it... and that Hariri's national legacy is a thing of the past... to all of them, your presence here today, and every day, clearly declares: 'Our history has a future!' And our future is in our hands; we will build it, and we know how to build it!" Hariri went on to say.
He noted that he knows "when to wait" and when to shoulder his responsibility.
"We know that national Harirism takes a distance, a warrior's rest, but it will not be broken or extinguished! Many who bet on breaking Hariri's legacy are the ones who have been broken!" the ex-PM stressed.
He added that "the Lebanese people are weary, and after long years of wars, divisions, axes, and caves, it is their right to have a normal country -- a country with one constitution, one army, and one arsenal of weapons, because Lebanon is one and will remain one."
He added that the "dreams of partition" have fallen by "the decree of reality, history, and geography."
Hariri also saluted the residents of the South and said they "deserve a state that protects them, cares for them, and keeps them rooted in their land, in our land, through solidarity and mutual support among all Lebanese."
He also saluted Tripoli, where the recent collapse of two buildings has killed around 15 people, decrying that "the credibility of politicians, parties, leaders and businessmen has crumbled."
"We have all failed Tripoli, and we are all responsible for the tragedy of (Bab al-)Tabbaneh. Statements of solidarity and placing the blame solely on the state are no longer enough. Tripoli has all the ingredients for success to become one of the most important cities on the Mediterranean, a city with a history, and 'its history... has a future!'" Hariri added.
Addressing all Lebanese, Hariri said: "Our project is a united Lebanon, Lebanon first, a Lebanon that will not, and will not allow, return to any sectarian strife or internal conflict."
He added that the 1989 Taif Agreement "is the solution" and "must be fully implemented!"
"Yes, ever since all Lebanese agreed to end the war, thanks to the Taif Agreement, and pledged to implement it, every political faction has taken a part of this agreement and demanded it. Each one takes what suits them and demands its implementation, and the result is: the Taif Agreement is not being implemented, and our crises are not ending," Hariri lamented.
"When we say the Taif Agreement in its entirety, we mean: no weapons except those held by the state, administrative decentralization, the abolition of political sectarianism, the establishment of a Senate, and the full implementation of the Armistice Agreement," he urged.
"All of this must be implemented completely and immediately so that we can end all our chronic problems and crises together!" he said.
He added that the Hariri legacy "has always been and will remain a supporter of all Arab rapprochement and an opponent of all Arab discord!"
"Those who try to sow discord among Gulf and Arab states will find themselves empty-handed, and will burn their hands and their credibility," Hariri noted.
He added: "We want the best relations with all Arab countries, starting with our closest neighbor, Syria -- the new Syria, the free Syria that has rid itself of the regime of thuggery and crime that ravaged it and Lebanon and spread its poison throughout the Arab world."
As for parliamentary elections, Hariri said: "The whole country has two questions: Will the elections be held? And what will al-Mustaqbal do? And I have one answer: tell me when the elections will be held and I'll tell you what al-Mustaqbal will do."
"But I promise you, whenever the elections are held, I promise you: they will hear our voices, and they will count our votes!" he vowed.
Source: Naharnet
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