BEIRUT: Lebanon’s parliament speaker Nabih Berri said on Wednesday that the government still stands after the prime minister’s shock resignation, according to sources who met with him. Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri’s resignation in a weekend broadcast from Saudi Arabia “in this form” will not change the government’s capacities, the sources cited Berri as saying.
Neither Hezbollah nor the Lebanese government have responded to accusations made by Saudi Gulf affairs minister Thamer Al Sabhan that both Lebanon and Hezbollah had declared war on the kingdom. President Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, has refused to accept Hariri’s resignation. According to US sources, Al Sabhan is expected to arrive in Washington on Wednesday, where he will review regional developments, especially those related to Lebanon. Meanwhile, President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi has said that Egypt is not considering taking any measures against Hezbollah despite Saudi Arabia’s call for sanctions against the Lebanese political and military group.
Saudi Arabia, the main backer of Egypt, has said Hezbollah should be disarmed and kept out of the Lebanese government.
“The subject is not about taking on or not taking on, the subject is about the status of the fragile stability in the region in light of the unrest facing the region,” Al Sissi told CNBC in an interview when asked if Egypt would consider its own measures against Hezbollah.
“The region cannot support more turmoil,” he said.
Riyadh blames Hezbollah for the resignation of Lebanon’s preeminent Sunni politician, accusing it of hijacking Lebanese politics. But Saudi Arabia has also criticised Lebanon as a whole, saying it too has declared war on the kingdom.
Sissi told Lebanon’s speaker of parliament on Sunday Egypt is opposed to any interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs.
“The president expressed Egypt’s interest in preserving security and stability in Lebanon ... and affirmed the importance of avoiding all forms of sectarian and religious tensions or violence, and its opposition to attempted interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs,” Al Sissi’s office said in a statement after he met Speaker Nabih Berri in Cairo.
“It’s up to the Lebanese to reach the political settlement of their choice,” the statement said.
The European Union and the United States on Wednesday reaffirmed support for Lebanon after the resignation of its prime minister.
Hariri’s move has pulled Lebanon back to the forefront of a regional struggle.
The US ambassador to Lebanon said on Wednesday the United States remained “committed to a stable, secure, democratic, and prosperous Lebanon” during a meeting with Lebanese army commander General Joseph Aoun, a US embassy statement said.
The United States classifies Hezbollah as a terrorist group even as it supports the weak Lebanese state, drawing a line between the two in a long-standing policy.
President Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally who took office last year, has refused to accept Hariri’s resignation, saying he first wants him to return to Lebanon so he can meet him in person to understand the reasons.
Aoun said Lebanon’s security and economy were stable and the presidency still viewed Hariri as prime minister, Lebanese media reported.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has said the coalition government led by Hariri still stands.Policymakers say there is no concern for the Lebanese pound — which has been pegged against the US dollar at the same rate for two decades — thanks to record levels of foreign currency reserves.
