Clinton Reiterates US commitment to Hariri court
March 14 Forces call for massive rally
Parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri received on Thursday a telephone call from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who stressed "the international community”s commitment to implement justice and put an end to assassination crimes in Lebanon."
Clinton also reiterated the "US full support of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon" as well as the United States” "adherence to Lebanon”s sovereignty and independence."
She also said that the US was keen on promoting its relations with Lebanon, "for the interest of both countries."
Also Thursday, the March 14 Forces and government supporters put out the call for a "massive" demonstration in Downtown Beirut on Saturday to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
While the March 14 forces issued an open call for all Lebanese – "and their supporters in particular" – to show massive participation in the Martyrs” Square event on Saturday, Hariri announced that he would not participate in the new Cabinet if the opposition alliance led by the Free Patrioti Movement and includes Hizbullah wins the parliamentary elections in June.
In comments to AFP Thursday, Hariri said his party would not join a unity government, out of respect for what he called democratic principles.
"We will not take part in the government if the March 8 alliance wins the elections because we are keen on the implementation of a democratic system," Hariri told AFP.
In remarks published in the Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat daily, Hariri said he was not interested in forming a blocking minority in any March 8-led government.
"If the March 14 alliance wins it means the Lebanese will have chosen the path of sovereignty and independence of the state," he was quoted as saying of his own political grouping.
"However, if March 8 wins everything will change. The country will have chosen another path, one of [armed] resistance [against Israel]," he added.
Hizbullah has said it would seek to form a unity government if its camp wins. "We want to make it clear from now that we will want to establish a national unity government" with the Sunni-led coalition, Nawaf Mussawi, a top Hizbullah official, told AFP in December.
Hariri confirmed certain "dissimilarities" among the members of the March 14 alliance but emphasized that they were being solved and said his political opponents were better off if they refrained from betting on internal disagreements.
Hariri said March 8 and March 14 leaders who participated in the Doha meetings had agreed to share the four parliamentary seats in Beirut”s second district.
Following a meeting held at Hariri”s residence in Qoreitem, MP Butros Harb said the March 14 forces "stress Lebanon”s commitment to its independent, nationalist decision and reject all forms of interference into our political life."
According to the An-Nahar daily on Thursday, Hariri, Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel, Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea are scheduled to address the rally that would start at 10:30 a.m. in Martyrs” Square in Beirut.
The rally is expected to end at 12:50 p.m., the time of the car bomb explosion that killed Hariri on February 14, 2005.
A source from the organizing committee told An-Nahar that the committee was expecting large masses that could exceed hundreds of thousands.
The organizing committee has set up 100,000 chairs and the event will include cultural programs, according to An-Nahar.
Meanwhile, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir on Thursday renewed his support for a centrist parliamentary bloc and declared he was neither with March 8 nor March 14 forces.
"I am with a centrist bloc that would facilitate resolving internal issues," Sfeir said following a meeting with members of the Youth Shadow Government.
He said he was surprised as to why some interpreted his statements as being supportive of the March 14 alliance and against the Hizbullah-led March 8.
"Learn from others” mistakes so you won”t make them," Sfeir told the delegation. He called on all Lebanese, particularly political leaders, to serve their country, adding that politicians "should use their power to serve the best interests of all citizens and not their own interests."