Lebanon: PM Hariri’s Resignation on Hold after Talks with President
Local Editor
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri temporarily put his resignation on hold following a request by President Michel Aoun for him to reconsider the decision.
"I presented my resignation to President Aoun today and he urged me to wait" for more dialogue and "I showed responsiveness to this hope," Hariri said following his meeting with Aoun in Beirut on Wednesday.
He also underlined his commitment to cooperation with Aoun.
Hariri stunned the entire nation on November 4, when he announced his resignation in a statement broadcast from Saudi Arabia and plunged his homeland into a new political crisis.
Back then, top Lebanese officials accused Saudi Arabia of forcing his resignation and detaining him in the kingdom for days before letting him leave.
Hariti finally returned home late on Tuesday after visits to France, Cyprus and Egypt.
Earlier today, Hariri along with President Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri attended a military parade to mark the country's Independence Day, which brought an end to the French mandate over the country 74 years ago.
After the parade, Hariri attended a meeting with Aoun and Berri.
Before his return, Hariri promised to explain his views on the crisis in the country.
He cited many reasons, including the security situation in Lebanon, for his sudden decision. He also said that he sensed a plot being hatched against his life.
Meanwhile, analysts consider that Hariri, a close Riyadh ally, was forced by his Saudi patron to resign as he refused to adopt a confrontational approach against Hezbollah, a powerful political party which is part of the Hariri-led coalition government.
After days of confusion about Hariri's situation in Saudi Arabia, the Lebanese premier and his wife arrived in the French capital, Paris, on Saturday, but two of his children stayed behind in Riyadh.
In Paris, Hariri held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, who invited the Lebanese politician to the European country in an attempt to lower the tensions that erupted after his abrupt resignation.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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