Al-Hariri is ready to take part in coalition government with Hezbollah

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Sa’ad al-Hariri has said that he is ready to be part of a coalition government that includes Hezbollah, Reuters reported. Al-Hariri expressed hope in such a government considering Hezbollah a political party.

Just before the hearings at The Hague on his father’s assassination, Al-Hariri told Reuters that he feels positive about forming a government with Hezbollah as long as it is in the interest of the country and its stability.

He said that his view does not mean he is offering concessions to be with a party that assassinated his father because in principle “the culprit is free unless he is convicted.” However, he added, “in principle, we know that they are the side which committed the crime.”

Al-Hariri continued: “In the end this is a political party that has a strong alliance with the Michel Aoun, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, as well as with other parties. We are trying to rule the country jointly with the others because we do not aim to let anyone from the outside do so.

“Lebanon is passing a difficult stage, especially after the failure of the international community to resolve the Syrian issue.”

When asked whether there are red lines in forming the government, Al-Hariri said: “The red lines are the interests of the country. We want the country to be stable.”

These remarks put an end to the continuous arguments in Beirut about the readiness of Al-Hariri to take part in a coalition government including Hezbollah before the latter stops fighting beside the Syrian regime.

Source: Al Resalah