Region | Lebanon
'We want understanding through dialogue'
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has urged the Hezbollah-led opposition to end its continuous sit-in around the government offices in the heart of Beirut and come back to the negotiating table.
- By Jumana Al Tamimi, GCC & Middle East Editor
- Published: 00:00 December 19, 2006
- Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora says that the end of the current political crisis lies in the end to the sit-in in downtown Beirut.
- Image Credit: Reuters
Beirut: Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has urged the Hezbollah-led opposition to end its continuous sit-in around the government offices in the heart of Beirut and come back to the negotiating table.
"Let reason prevail," he said in an exclusive interview with Gulf News in his office at the Grand Serail, a few yards away from the protesters who have been camping in central Beirut for the past 18 days, determined to overthrow the Siniora government.
The Prime Minister called the protests "a form of democracy and freedom of expression as stipulated in the constitution." However, he strongly refused to consider it a beginning for civil strife in the country.
Efforts of other countries
In the interview, he stressed the legitimacy of his government formed 18 months ago, and highlighted the efforts of other countries to end the political stand-off in Lebanon between the government and the opposition.
The following is the full text of the interview, in which Siniora started by commenting on the verbal attacks on his government and calls to form a national unity government.
"This government has the legitimacy of the parliament and many Lebanese people. This government, which they used to describe in the past as the national resistance government, has now become all of a sudden an 'American government.' Why then do they want to be part of this 'American government?' They also call for its Premier, whom they say has conspired with the Americans and the Israelis, to continue [in his position]. That shows the weakness of their logic.
Meanwhile, there is covert interference in the issue of the International Special Tribunal (to try the suspects in the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri) and in the issue of money paid to different organisations outside the frame of the state.
Do you consider the American support of your government not in your favour at a time Washington is taking a position against Hezbollah ?
I am a pragmatic man. What matters to me is not the verbal support. It is the support that is really ultimately translated in deeds. We say the real support the Americans can provide the government and people of Lebanon is to force Israel to stop its flights over Lebanon according to the UN resolution 1701, to provide Lebanon with maps for landmines, and to put Sheba'a Farms under UN jurisdiction. This is what we ask the US for, apart from the implementation of resolution 1701.
Some are saying that your government is delaying the delivery of financial aid to those who suffered from the Israeli war on Lebanon.
It is one of the things said against your government.
Shame on them. It is a shame what they [the opposition] are doing and saying, because the government is the party that brings in financial aid. It is this government that spends. The number of the southern villages that have received aid has reached 153. We have announced a mechanism to follow, and all villages will be compensated by mid-January (2007).
Is there any country in the world who has suffered from such problems and managed to work at such a speed? A senior UN expert, who visited 11 disaster zones in the world, came to Beirut and announced 'this is the first country in the world that has managed to overcome problems so fast'.
We have built in all areas. Some 97 bridges were destroyed besides roads, schools and hospitals. All are being built, and whoever wants to see this is welcome. They claim the government is not doing enough and this is not the truth. They know this is not the truth. The number of those who received compensation cheques has reached 27,500, while the amount of compensation reached 110 billion Lebanese lira.
The Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Mousa is returning on Tuesday to Beirut after a visit to Saudi Arabia. Reports in Lebanon spoke of a Saudi initiative. Does this mean the end of Moussa's earlier initiative?
There are attempts to boost Mr Mousa's efforts and not an outmanouvering or a replacement.
What the solution to the current crisis in your opinion?
For reason to prevail [and] an end to the sit-in because it will not lead to any result. It has been going on now for 18 days, and then what? The government to be overthrown? This government has the support of the majority of parliament and the majority of the Lebanese.
This crisis will end when reason prevails. To impose someone's will is not accepted in this country. There were 2,800 decisions taken by the government unanimously. Only the decision related to the [Hariri] tribunal was taken by voting. This government has practiced what is called consensual democracy.
As far as the tribunal is concerned, they say they support it but they [opposition ministers] have resigned because of it. As the Quran says 'saying with their lips what was not in their hearts.' They boycotted the government sessions for seven weeks [because of the tribunal] last year, and now they have resigned because of it too. They said the resignation is because they want to form a national unity government. They are saying the majority is possessive, right? They control the positions of the President and the Parliamentary speaker, and they want to add to that the government.
They are asking to have one-third of cabinet positions - the blocking minority. This means at any point in time, they can resign and the entire government will be considered resigned.
They talk about real participation in the decision- making. When the government was taken to war [last July], whom did they take the decision with? Is there any decision more important than this one. They have not consulted anybody. Hassan Nasrallah (Secretary-General of Hezbollah) said had he known the Israeli reaction, Hezbollah wouldn't had done it (capturing the two Israeli soldiers on July 12).
What about the accusations and counter-accusations between the government and the opposition through the media?
I think this issue, politics through the media is wrong. I have always said this will not lead to anything. On the contrary, it will lead to more tension.
We have said since the beginning that the right place to deal with these issues is through dialogue between the parties. But there are those who took the country, the whole country, to war, and then insisted on resorting to the streets. What is the result of such a move? Paralysing economic life, paralysing the country. Lebanon was taken to a war that made its economic growth, which was estimated at six per cent during the first six months of this year to minus five per cent. This means the country has lost 11 per cent because of the war. If the situation continues in the current way, it will lead to more tension.
Does this mean that the first thing you are going to tell Moussa when he returns to Beirut is for the sit-in to end?
We have said this and not only us. The Maronite Patriarch has also questioned the sit-in.
Let it be clear, we want understanding through dialogue. This is the beginning. We are open to participation on the basis it won't lead to blocking [government work].
We are insisting on the Tribunal not because we want to know who committed this crime, but also to protect the Lebanese and allow them to express their opinions free of intimidation. The assassinations were not limited to Rafik Hariri, but it was an endless series.
Throughout 30 years, scores of assassinations were committed and the culprits have not been identified. They were not limited to politicians, but also to thinkers, media personnel and clerics. Anybody who utters a word became subjected to murder, and this necessitates dealing with the issue, to protect Lebanese freedom, the democracy in Lebanon, and freedom of choice. At the same time, we have to stop anybody who thinks of committing such crimes.
When will the International Tribunal start its work?
All tribunals of an international nature need at least two years to be formed. One year has already passed. It will take one more year at least. This tribunal will implement Lebanese law. It has all the guarantees that make people assured that the process is being done in a correct manner away from any kind of influence. We don't want the Tribunal to be politicised. We want the truth and nothing else.
Do you see any relation between what is happening in Lebanon and the sectarian strife in Iraq, or there is no relation in your opinion?
No, there is no relation. There is a tense atmosphere in the region.
It is sectarian tension, and this is a despised thing. To look how Lebanon was five months ago [and how it is now] we see how bad it is. Then, we were under the Israeli bombardment, that is true. Despite the bitterness and difficulty of the situation, there was an atmosphere of solidarity among the Lebanese. They were all in one place: against the Israeli invasion and they were one against the Israeli enemy.
It was the government that stood up to defend Lebanon. It was the government that managed to stop the occupation, and stop the war, to send the army to the south for the first time in 35 years.
This government that was called the political resistance government is now being accused of being the government that facilitated the occupation and its prolonged presence. What a pity.
What is your priority at present?
We are working on ending the political crisis. We are working on preparing for the Paris-3 conference [to help Lebanon], scheduled for January 25, and we are working on moving ahead with state affairs.
Do you intend to visit Syria or Iran?
I am willing to visit any country as long as there is a national Lebanese interest.
I don't mind visiting Syria. I am still waiting to receive the talks' agenda, which I was asked [a few months ago by the Syrian government] to prepare and have sent it. I have not received a response from our brothers in Syria. As for Iran, when there is reason, I have no objection.
I represent the policy of the Lebanese government, and I believe that it is in the interest of Lebanon to have good relations with all countries. I stand next to those who stand by Lebanon.
We in this country want to live in harmony with our surroundings and the world. We want to be able to build a society where democracy, freedom, openness, moderation, respect for others, human rights respect and the whole country is under the sovereignty of the state. This is what the Lebanese want, and they want the world to deal with them on the basis of mutual respect. Lebanon doest not want to be part of any alliance with some countries against other countries. Clear?
To be in charge and occupy a senior position in a country such as Lebanon is not an easy task is it?
No. It is not an easy thing at all. But the easiness comes from the internal satisfaction that the person feels when he accomplishes something for his country, and there is an agreement between what he thinks and practices with what he believes in.
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