No Comment on Hizbullah-Bellemare Talks, We Want Hariri Killers Punished
Hizbullah insists "on the need to punish the killers of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri" and those who plotted "this heinous crime," MP Mohammed Raad told Kuwait”s al-Rai daily in an interview to be published Thursday.
In excerpts of the interview carried out by the National News Agency, Raad, who is Hizbullah”s parliamentary bloc, refused to deny or confirm recent reports that chief prosecutor for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Daniel Bellemare held talks with Hizbullah officials
Raad said the STL has become "a reality and operates according to international resolutions." He said Hizbullah "has nothing to do with the STL and does not have concerns about it."
The Lebanese As-Safir daily reported Tuesday that Bellemare met with Hizbullah officials before leaving to The Hague last week ahead of the STL”s inauguration. The newspaper quoted sources from the U.N. commission investigating Hariri”s assassination as saying that last week”s meeting was "fruitful and very positive."
Asked to comment on the report, Raad said: "I do not know. I can neither confirm nor deny" if such a meeting took place. He added that Hizbullah was looking into the issue.
Raad disclosed that Hizbullah had some comments on a pending Memorandum of Understanding between Lebanon and the STL.
Last week, the Cabinet delayed a decision to sign the MOU to give March 8 minority ministers more time to study the proposal. The memorandum calls for regulating relations between the Lebanese judiciary and the general prosecutor. The Cabinet will discuss the issue in Thursday”s session, An-Nahar daily reported last Friday.
"Our Cabinet ministers will discuss the MOU based on these observations," Raad said.
Moving on to an equally hot topic, the parliamentary elections, Raad appeared confident the parliamentary minority "will win the polls. We are relaxed. What remains to be seen is by how many votes."
He saw no need for panic in light of a recent hike in crimes, including assaults, murder and kidnappings. "There is no need to be worries. There is a general agreement on the need for the elections to take place and to provide the necessary atmosphere for that to happen."
Raad reiterated that Lebanon can only be ruled through a government of national unity and national accord, in reaction to MP Saad Hariri”s announcement he will not take part in a government should the minority win the elections.