Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah hoped on Friday that the binding parliamentary consultations will be held on Monday as scheduled, and that the designation of a new PM takes places per the majority of the votes, stressed that the cabinet formation process will not be easy. “After the designation, we will talks about the cabinet and its shape,” he added.
In a televised speech about the latest developments on the local scene, Nasrallah emphasized that the national responsibility requires all the parties to assume their duties and responsibilities, to present concessions and to cooperate for the sake of the country.
He also insisted on the participation of the Free Patriotic Movement, noting that no one should be excluded from the new government. “The option in which Saad Hariri heads the new government remains on the table, but he has to resolve the issues,” he stated.
“We do not mind Saad Hariri heading the government, but this option has not been achieved because he set a series of conditions that our political party found not suitable,” the Shiite party chief explained.
In the same context, he continued on the issue of the cabinet, stating that the three names that were agreed upon, were not proposed by them but did not object them, urging the caretaker government to assume its responsibilities on the economic and financial levels.
“After the resignation of the government, several options arose concerning the next one, including the formation of a one-color government, an option that divided the opinions within our political team,” he said, pointing out that Hezbollah and Amal Movement did not agree to such a proposition.
In this regard, Hezbollah leader noted that Lebanese is facing its most dangerous economic and financial crisis ever, adding that any government that will have to resolve this crisis requires internal stability.
“The cabinet resignation and parliament obstruction led to waste of time and obstruction of institutions that should have been implementing reforms,” Nasrallah reiterated.
Cost of living crisis
Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that there are some people who have been exploiting the situation by raising the prices and increasing their profits, stating that the current situation requires solidarity in order to prevent total collapse that would affect all the people.
“Everything related to the people, including bread, food, fuel and other things, must not be used as pressured cards,” he stressed.
Security situation
The Hezbollah secretary general said that blocking roads had several inconveniences, revealing that they have practiced massive restraint and restored calm to some cases. “We agree on the need to maintain calm and prevent being dragged into any tension.”
In this context, Nasrallah said that the Lebanese army and the security forces showed serious work in resolving the roadblocks issue.
The United States
In his speech, Nasrallah commented on the recent statements by US officials, noting that the Americans want to resolve their problems and Israel’s problems, but those of the Lebanese people. “Hezbollah poses a threat to the US projects and interests, not to the interests of the Lebanese people,” he explained.
He also considered that the Americans have been taking credit for the demonstrations in the countries publicly and rudely, while claiming that they manage and support these movements, adding that the US assumed that the protests that broke out on October 17 were against Iran, Hezbollah and the Resistance’s arms, while the demands were in fact related to the cost of living issues.
“According to Pompeo, the Lebanese must get rid of Hezbollah since it poses a threat and the US is ready to help; but is this the real situation in Lebanon?” the party chief asked, adding that “what’s funny about Pompeo’s statement is that he said that the US is ready to remove Hezbollah from the Lebanese system, which proves the absurdity of the American approach.”
Consequently, Sayyed Nasrallah called on Lebanese people to reject the US incitement towards strife and chaos, emphasizing that the Lebanese are capable of getting themselves out of this crisis.