The Armenian Tashnag party announced officially on Wednesday that it has refused MP Saad Hariri”s offer of four parliamentary seats in return for voting for March 14 alliance”s full list of names in Beirut 1, the Metn and Zahle districts.
"After studying this offer … and during our second meeting with MP Hariri (last night), we informed him about the (executive) committee”s decision to form an Armenian MPs bloc that will include five legislators" whose names were announced on Sunday, the party said in a statement.
The five candidates are: Arthur Nazarian, George Qassarji, Hagop Pakradounian, Vrej Saboungian and Krikor Kaloust.
"The bloc will have free political decision-making and will play a nationalistic legislative role," according to the statement.
It said the party will have the freedom to vote in Beirut 1, the Metn and Zahle based on its own convictions, to which Hariri did not react favorably.
The statement reiterated that Tashnag will be allied with Gen. Michel Aoun”s Free Patriotic Movement in all districts and Minister Elie Skaff in Zahle, adding that the party will continue to reach out to all sides before and after the June 7 elections.
Later, Hariri”s press office stated "for the record that Tashnag has reneged on the position it officially relayed to us during yesterday”s meeting.
The statement said Tashnag promised during the talks with Hariri to "completely commit to political neutrality between March 8 and March 14 forces following the legislative elections."
"We were surprised that Tashnag announced, through a media release, its stance on the dialogue taking place between us, Michel Murr and (the Armenian party)," it said.
The statement explained that the three sides had agreed "during the last two meetings to keep political deliberations amongst them."
It said Tashnag appeared to suggest it is being offered "a number of seats for its candidatesin return for its supporters to vote for March 14 nominees across Lebanon."
However, "what we are really proposing is to try to secure the votes of March 14 supporters for Tashnag candidates in return for the ballots of the (the Armenian party”s) supporters in favor of March 14 contenders in the same districts."