Lebanese Information Minister Tariq Mitri has announced that the committee tasked with the job of preparing the draft policy statement that will guide the new government has completed the job without any dissension.
In a statement, Mitri said: ‘The drafting committee has finalised its task of preparing the draft of the ministerial statement.
‘This draft will be presented to his Excellency the President of the Republic and the Council of Ministers.
‘It will be discussed and approved, God willing, at a meeting for the Council of Ministers soon.’
Mitri added that the agreement had been reached on the ministerial statement following long discussion and dialogue.
He also noted that the members of the committee have reached an agreement over all problematic issues.
‘The unity of the state and its authority are the guiding principles of all the decisions in the government,’ Mitri said.
He said the statement included a clause on the ‘right of Lebanon, its people, army and resistance to liberate or reclaim its land.’
Mitri said some ministers sought to add to the clause the phrase ‘this right is to be practiced under the state wing’ but it was not agreed on.
The committee finalised a policy statement, after more than 20 days on its formation and after just 14 lengthy meetings.
Political sources said on Saturday that Lebanon’s national unity government had agreed on a statement that grants Hezbollah the right to use all possible means to liberate ‘occupied land’.
The policy statement, that was expected to be approved by Lebanon’s cabinet yesterday, recognises the right of Lebanon, its government, people and resistance to use all means possible to regain Lebanese sovereignty over occupied Shabaa Farms and nearby Israeli-held parts of Ghajjar village.
Earlier, Hezbollah’s senior commander in southern Lebanon, Shaykh Nabil Ka’uk, said that ‘the resistance is now stronger than before and this keeps the option of war awake.
‘If we were weak, Israel would not hesitate to start another war.
‘When Hezbollah is strong, our strength stops Israel from starting a new war.’
He added: ‘We don’t seek war, but we must be ready.’
On the relationship with both Iran and Syria, Shaykh Ka’uk also stressed: ‘We are proud of our friendship with Iran and with Syria and every country which helps us to gain our rights.’
However, when asked where Hezbollah’s weapons were originating, Shaykh Ka’uk said: ‘All parties in Lebanon are getting weapons. No one asks from where.’
Asked about the prospect of an Israeli strike on Iran and Hezbollah’s response to such development, the senior commander said: ‘I doubt that Israel will attack Iran because they know the consequences.’
In a recent speech delivered at the Labour Party offices in Tel Aviv, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak claimed that: ‘Hezbollah has doubled or tripled the amount of missiles it has in the last two years.’
Barak added that Hezbollah’s missiles ‘can reach all parts of Israel.’
Shaykh Ka’uk also said that the Second Lebanon War in 2006 was a success for the resistance group.
He said: ‘Israel didn’t achieve any of its goals. The known goal of Israel is “death to Hezbollah”. Hezbollah is still here.’
The parliament was due to convene yesterday to give the government its vote of confidence, paving the way for the ministers to start operating effectively.
It wasn’t easy for the cabinet to approve the policy statement given the differences between the ministers on the different topics.
The result was that a so-called national unity government submitted a policy statement that some of its members have reservations on.
Mostly, reservations are on the Resistance-related clause, mainly because the statement included the word ‘Resistance’ and affirmed once again its basic right of the Resistance to liberate land, which does not suit some politicians’ schemes.
For instance, State Minister Nassib Lahoud, talking to reporters, said he expressed reservation over the clause related to the Resistance because it failed to mention that the ‘Resistance should operate under the wing of the state.’
‘I hope a new version taking into consideration this reservation will be reached before the government adopts the statement.’
For his part, State Minister Youssef Taqla said that some parts of the policy statement are not clear.
Just after the policy statement draft was approved by the ministerial committee on Friday, reactions started.
Most of the Lebanese political parties hailed the statement as strong and comprehensive.
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Kassem said it is normal that the policy statement confirms that Lebanon, its people, army and Resistance have the right to liberate or regain the Shabaa Farms and the Kfar Shouba Hills.
‘This is a clear declaration that Lebanon is keen on maintaining the sources of its force,’ he stressed.
Sheikh Kassem also noted that today Lebanon is in a strong position.
‘There is no need to fear its strength or the strength of its Resistance which liberated the land and the detainees.’
Labour Minister Mohamad Fneish stressed that the policy statement draft is a victory for Lebanon’s right to resistance and considered it as a message to the world that Lebanon’s Army and Resistance would confront to the continuation of the Israeli aggressions against the country.
Fneish said that the reservation of some ministers in the policy statement committee over the Resistance-related clause does not agree with the nature of the Resistance work and the state’s missions.
Member of Loyalty to the Resistance MP Hasan Fadlallah said that Hezbollah has agreed over all sections in the policy statement, expressing hope it will be implemented.
‘We see that the Resistance is being cooperative with the Lebanese army. The Resistance enjoys total freedom in defending the land and resisting Israel,’ Fadlallah said.
He also noted that the policy statement has determined the role of the government.
‘We have overcome the past and our dealing today is based on partnership,’ Fadlallah said while noting the need to open a new page.
‘I think we have set important points in the policy statement and on which we can build something,’ he declared.
For his part, member of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc, MP Nabil Nicolas, said that nothing matters ‘as long as the ministerial statement supports the Resistance.’