Hariri: No independent peace track with Israel
Lebanon's leading premiership candidate rules out possiblity of peace with Israel at this time; Legislative allies say son of a slain former PM expected to replace Siniora
Lebanon will not be pursuing an independent peace track vis-à-vis Israel, the country's leading premiership candidate Saad Hariri told CNN Tuesday. Hariri reiterated a previous statement, saying that Lebanon will be the last country to sign a peace treaty with Israel.
"We will follow after the Arab initiative," he said. "You see, the Arab initiative includes many countries for the peace process, and Lebanon will come as we see fit."
Hariri, the billionaire businessman and son of a slain former prime minister, is emerging as the favorite to lead Lebanon's government after his pro-Western coalition fended off a serious challenge from Iranian-backed Hizbullah in weekend elections.
Legislative allies said Tuesday that Hariri, a 39-year-old moderate Muslim and leader of the largest parliamentary bloc in the winning coalition, is expected to replace his ally Fouad Siniora.
Hariri's alliance dealt a major setback to Hizbullah and its Syrian and Iranian backers in Sunday's vote, gaining 68 seats to the opposing group's 57. The other three seats in the 128-member parliament went to independents.
In the wake of the vote, there were some encouraging signs that tensions between Hizbullah and the pro-Western faction might be easing, at least for now.
Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in calm words Monday, recognized the results and offered to cooperate with the winners.
"A chance to build a strong and fair state still exists. All agree that there are crises facing us at all levels," he said. "We are in a new stage and in a new situation."
In a victory speech Monday, Hariri called on the Lebanese to close ranks.
"We must extend hands to each other, roll up sleeves and work together for the benefit of Lebanon," he said.
Hariri has not ruled out taking the job of prime minister.
'Great confidence in Hariri'
But he declined the position after the last elections in 2005, held just months after his father Rafik Hariri was assassinated in a massive car bombing in Beirut. His killing sparked massive street protests against Syria, which many including Saad Hariri blamed in the attack. Syria denied involvement.
The demonstrations, coupled with intense international pressure, forced Syria to its tens of thousands of troops out of Lebanon a few months later in what was a watershed moment in Lebanon's modern history. It ended nearly three decades of Syrian control of its smaller neighbor.
Over the past four years, Hariri faced death threats as he accused Syria of killing his father and other politicians in a mysterious campaign of bombings and assassinations in Lebanon. He has regularly traveled to world capitals to lobby for the international tribunal, set up in March in the Netherlands, to try his father's killers.
He was besieged in his Beirut residence for a few days when Hizbullah gunmen overran pro-government Sunni neighborhoods of Beirut in street fighting in May 2008.
Ahmed Fatfat, a member of Hariri's Future Movement, said he expected him to be nominated as prime minister during binding consultations between President Michel Suleiman with the new legislators after the parliament's term ends June 20.
"Saad Hariri is our choice for prime minister. The Lebanese people have expressed great confidence in him following Sunday's elections," Fatfat told The Associated Press.
Two other Hariri allies also said they expected him to be the choice for prime minister.
Under Lebanon's sectarian divisions of political power, the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim, the president a Maronite Catholic and the parliamentary speaker a Shiite Muslim.
