Hizbullah’s Secretary General gives up hope of deal, Nasrallah: `We have to return to the people`
Source: Compiled by moqawama.org, 09-04-2007
Hizbullah holds a huge ceremony Sunday afternoon to graduate more than 1700 collegiates who have graduated from different Lebanese universities with different domains last year. Among these graduates, are many of martyrs of the "Sincere Promise" (Al-wa`ad Al-Sadeq), the operation in which the Islamic resistance of Hizbullah captured two "Israeli" occupation soldiers on the southern Lebanese borders.
The preparations for the ceremony are under way and almost done in Beirut southern suburbs where it is to be held. And there will be a special honoring for those martyrs who chose the resistance as an expression to defend their homeland against the "Israeli" aggression.
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah declared on Sunday that Hizbullah will not be dragged into a civil war and is "giving up" its demand of "19+11" as the formula for the new cabinet - and told the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to go ahead and "replace" the six ministers who left in November.
"We don`t want the 19+11, thank you very much, as you," said Nasrallah, who made a point of noting that he was speaking on behalf of Hizbullah, "not the opposition" as a whole.
"If we have to pick between a civil war and keeping the situation as it is, we prefer to continue with the political deadlock," he said during a ceremony honoring 1,734 university graduates belonging to the resistance.
After offering his best wishes to Christians on the occasion of Easter, Nasrallah told his followers that the doors are "completely closed" against further dialogue and there now exists "only two solutions" to five months of political impasse.
"Now we have to return to the people, and do a national poll on what they want, or we carry out early parliamentary elections. These are the only two ways out now," Nasrallah said.
He also warned the ruling coalition to decide "soon."
"Now it is easier to reach a settlement than later," he said, "because later, we will be deciding whether or not to give you the 11."
Nasrallah also denied reports that his party will be sending the UN Security Council a detailed list of modifications to the international court to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
"Many have asked to see the list, including Iran and Saudi Arabia ... but we refuse to show it to anyone, expect the other Lebanese side," he said. "Unfortunately, the majority never wanted to discuss our modifications seriously."
"[UN Secretary General] Ban Ki-moon and others have now become the experts on Lebanese Constitution and have started to rule Lebanon," he quipped, criticizing pro-government MPs for having sent a petition that called on Ban to establish the court through the UN security Council.
Nasrallah accused the ruling majority of "scheming" and taking "their orders from the US."
"They don`t want a national army, they want a sectarian one they can manipulate," he added. "But the army will not give in to the rule by militia leaders."
He also praised President Emile Lahoud as a "man" who withstood "wave after wave of insults and campaigns by the ruling majority."
Nasrallah also criticized the "weak" state, saying: "When you become a strong state, then come and talk to us about us becoming a state within a state."
Nasrallah proposed on Sunday that a referendum could resolve the political deadlock between the pro- and anti-Syrian camps in Lebanon.
A solution to the crisis could come through "either organising a referendum or holding early elections", he said.
Nasrallah has been pressing for the formation of a new government of national unity while the cabinet of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora has ruled out early polls.
In criticising Siniora, the Hizbullah leader said in a televised speech that the way to resolve domestic problems was "not to resort to foreign parties but to the people".
He slammed a call by 70 pro-unconstitutional government MPs for the UN Security Council to step in and use its power to set up an international court to try those involved in the 2005 murder of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri.
Many Lebanese accuse Syria of killing Hariri and 22 others in a massive car bomb in Beirut. Damascus has denied any involvement.
MP Saad Hariri, son of the murdered man, has suggested the UN could act under Chapter Seven which would mean the Security Council could impose its decision on Lebanon.
The United Nations and Lebanon`s government have signed a deal to set up the tribunal, but it must be ratified by the country`s divided parliament.
Lebanon`s opposition objects to the way the Beirut government has handled plans to create the court under UN auspices and has so far blocked all moves to set it up.
Criticising the tribunal in its current proposed form, Nasrallah set the court was "conceived in such a way that it would return pre-established verdicts."
But he said the opposition would not send a counter-request to the UN because "that will signify consecrating the division of Lebanon and the Security Council as a point of reference in this Lebanese constitutional question."
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, also, has yet to convene the chamber. He says he will not call it to debate the tribunal until President Emile Lahoud, has signed the draft and a new government is formed.
Hizbullah would not allow itself to be dragged into a civil war, Nasrallah reasserted. "We will continue to use peaceful, democratic and civil means" of protest.
He said the Siniora government was deluding itself by counting on major regional changes to transform the situation in Lebanon, such as a US attack on Iran, another major backer of Hizbullah.
Hizbullah has given up hope of reaching a compromise deal with Lebanon`s Western-backed majority coalition to end the country`s political crisis, the group`s leader said on Sunday.
"The dialogue is deadlocked. What do we do?," Nasrallah said at a Hizbullah ceremony in Beirut`s southern suburbs.
"We don`t want a civil war. If the stalemate continues for a while until a solution is found or we go to a civil war, then let the stalemate continue."
Nasrallah said Hizbullah no longer demanded veto power in Prime Minister Fouad Siniora`s government but the only way out of the crisis was through a referendum to resolve the deadlock or early elections -- a proposal Siniora and his allies have already rejected.
Otherwise, he said, he and his opposition allies were willing to bide their time until circumstances become ripe for a solution or regular elections are held in 2009.
Lebanon is facing its worst crisis since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war. Opposition ministers resigned from government in November because of Siniora`s refusal to give them 11 seats in the 30-member cabinet and effectively hand veto power to his opponents.
"We in the opposition became like beggars ... I don`t want this 19-11 (formula) anymore," Nasrallah said.
"Today, the courageous decision is to return to the will of the Lebanese people," Nasrallah said.
Hizbullah holds a huge ceremony Sunday afternoon to graduate more than 1700 collegiates who have graduated from different Lebanese universities with different domains last year. Among these graduates, are many of martyrs of the "Sincere Promise" (Al-wa`ad Al-Sadeq), the operation in which the Islamic resistance of Hizbullah captured two "Israeli" occupation soldiers on the southern Lebanese borders.
The preparations for the ceremony are under way and almost done in Beirut southern suburbs where it is to be held. And there will be a special honoring for those martyrs who chose the resistance as an expression to defend their homeland against the "Israeli" aggression.
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah declared on Sunday that Hizbullah will not be dragged into a civil war and is "giving up" its demand of "19+11" as the formula for the new cabinet - and told the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to go ahead and "replace" the six ministers who left in November.
"We don`t want the 19+11, thank you very much, as you," said Nasrallah, who made a point of noting that he was speaking on behalf of Hizbullah, "not the opposition" as a whole.
"If we have to pick between a civil war and keeping the situation as it is, we prefer to continue with the political deadlock," he said during a ceremony honoring 1,734 university graduates belonging to the resistance.
After offering his best wishes to Christians on the occasion of Easter, Nasrallah told his followers that the doors are "completely closed" against further dialogue and there now exists "only two solutions" to five months of political impasse.
"Now we have to return to the people, and do a national poll on what they want, or we carry out early parliamentary elections. These are the only two ways out now," Nasrallah said.
He also warned the ruling coalition to decide "soon."
"Now it is easier to reach a settlement than later," he said, "because later, we will be deciding whether or not to give you the 11."
Nasrallah also denied reports that his party will be sending the UN Security Council a detailed list of modifications to the international court to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
"Many have asked to see the list, including Iran and Saudi Arabia ... but we refuse to show it to anyone, expect the other Lebanese side," he said. "Unfortunately, the majority never wanted to discuss our modifications seriously."
"[UN Secretary General] Ban Ki-moon and others have now become the experts on Lebanese Constitution and have started to rule Lebanon," he quipped, criticizing pro-government MPs for having sent a petition that called on Ban to establish the court through the UN security Council.
Nasrallah accused the ruling majority of "scheming" and taking "their orders from the US."
"They don`t want a national army, they want a sectarian one they can manipulate," he added. "But the army will not give in to the rule by militia leaders."
He also praised President Emile Lahoud as a "man" who withstood "wave after wave of insults and campaigns by the ruling majority."
Nasrallah also criticized the "weak" state, saying: "When you become a strong state, then come and talk to us about us becoming a state within a state."
Nasrallah proposed on Sunday that a referendum could resolve the political deadlock between the pro- and anti-Syrian camps in Lebanon.
A solution to the crisis could come through "either organising a referendum or holding early elections", he said.
Nasrallah has been pressing for the formation of a new government of national unity while the cabinet of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora has ruled out early polls.
In criticising Siniora, the Hizbullah leader said in a televised speech that the way to resolve domestic problems was "not to resort to foreign parties but to the people".
He slammed a call by 70 pro-unconstitutional government MPs for the UN Security Council to step in and use its power to set up an international court to try those involved in the 2005 murder of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri.
Many Lebanese accuse Syria of killing Hariri and 22 others in a massive car bomb in Beirut. Damascus has denied any involvement.
MP Saad Hariri, son of the murdered man, has suggested the UN could act under Chapter Seven which would mean the Security Council could impose its decision on Lebanon.
The United Nations and Lebanon`s government have signed a deal to set up the tribunal, but it must be ratified by the country`s divided parliament.
Lebanon`s opposition objects to the way the Beirut government has handled plans to create the court under UN auspices and has so far blocked all moves to set it up.
Criticising the tribunal in its current proposed form, Nasrallah set the court was "conceived in such a way that it would return pre-established verdicts."
But he said the opposition would not send a counter-request to the UN because "that will signify consecrating the division of Lebanon and the Security Council as a point of reference in this Lebanese constitutional question."
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, also, has yet to convene the chamber. He says he will not call it to debate the tribunal until President Emile Lahoud, has signed the draft and a new government is formed.
Hizbullah would not allow itself to be dragged into a civil war, Nasrallah reasserted. "We will continue to use peaceful, democratic and civil means" of protest.
He said the Siniora government was deluding itself by counting on major regional changes to transform the situation in Lebanon, such as a US attack on Iran, another major backer of Hizbullah.
Hizbullah has given up hope of reaching a compromise deal with Lebanon`s Western-backed majority coalition to end the country`s political crisis, the group`s leader said on Sunday.
"The dialogue is deadlocked. What do we do?," Nasrallah said at a Hizbullah ceremony in Beirut`s southern suburbs.
"We don`t want a civil war. If the stalemate continues for a while until a solution is found or we go to a civil war, then let the stalemate continue."
Nasrallah said Hizbullah no longer demanded veto power in Prime Minister Fouad Siniora`s government but the only way out of the crisis was through a referendum to resolve the deadlock or early elections -- a proposal Siniora and his allies have already rejected.
Otherwise, he said, he and his opposition allies were willing to bide their time until circumstances become ripe for a solution or regular elections are held in 2009.
Lebanon is facing its worst crisis since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war. Opposition ministers resigned from government in November because of Siniora`s refusal to give them 11 seats in the 30-member cabinet and effectively hand veto power to his opponents.
"We in the opposition became like beggars ... I don`t want this 19-11 (formula) anymore," Nasrallah said.
"Today, the courageous decision is to return to the will of the Lebanese people," Nasrallah said.
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