Parliament Resumes Vote of Confidence Sessions, Hizbullah Arms Top Debate Issue
The Parliament resumed at 6:00pm of Wednesday”s evening the sessions dedicated to a debate on a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his 30-member Cabinet.
The first to speak in the evening session was Development and Liberation bloc”s MP Ali Bazzi who hailed "the role of the resistance and its sacrifices". He stressed that those who objected on abolishing political sectarianism will not find refuge except in renouncing "their sectarianism."
On his part, Mustaqbal bloc”s MP Qassem Abdul Aziz said: "The grace period is over and the government has to start work."
Wednesday morning”s session had witnessed a high tone debating Hizbullah”s arms and the sixth article of the ministerial Policy Statement, better known now as "resistance article."
MP Nawwaf al-Mussawi answered Hizbullah”s criticizers by saying: "How can the government face Israeli air space violations? By asking it not to legitimize the resistance and by fiercely objecting on article six?"
Al-Mussawi counted "the resistance achievements" against Israel since 1983, and added: "All the forces of evil on earth could not eradicate the resistance from the battlefield, and no one will be able to eradicate it neither from history nor from the statement."
MP Nadim Gemayel considered that Hizbullah”s arms undermine internal balance, democracy, and coexistence.
As for MP Nohad al-Mashnouq from Lebanon First bloc headed by Hariri, he raised questions about "the role of arms in civil and political life", demanding to have the resistance role under the authority of the State.
Lebanese Forces bloc”s MP Elie Kayrouz said that Hizbullah”s arms issue became a "controversial issue among the Lebanese with no basis in the Constitution."
MP Ali Ammar interrupted his colleague, Elie Kayrouz, as he spoke, demanding to delete any mention of Hizbullah from parliamentary session minutes.
He called on Speaker Nabih Berri to "delete any mention of Hizbullah …in accordance with Article 76 of the inner system."
Ammar criticized lawmakers from the majority March 14 coalition, saying their speeches were "similar to those delivered by leaders of the Israeli enemy."
Wednesday sessions also witnessed speeches made by MPs Ibrahim Kanaan, Samer Saade, Khaled Zahraman, Mohammed al-Hajjar, Hekmat Deeb, Tony Abu Khater, Qassem Hashem, Hadi Hbeish, Khaled al-Daher, Amin Wehbi, Ghazi Zoaiter, Youssef Khalil, Fadi al-Awar, Joseph Maalouf, and Naji Gharious.