Hariri says resignation on hold, pledges to stay in Lebanon

Beirut, Lebanon | AFP | Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Wednesday he was suspending his surprise resignation, pending talks, providing a potential way out of a political crisis that has rocked the country.

In a rousing address before large crowds of supporters gathered outside his Beirut home, he pledged he would stay in the country and protect its “stability”.

Lebanon has been thrown into turmoil by Hariri’s shock November 4 announcement from Saudi Arabia that he was stepping down, followed by a prolonged absence.

The resignation was seen as a ratcheting up of tensions in the long-running rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and raised fears that Lebanon would be paralysed by regional tensions.

Hours after his arrival back in Beirut, Hariri met with President Michel Aoun, who had refused to accept the premier’s resignation until he returned to Lebanon.

“I discussed my resignation with the president of the republic who asked me to wait before submitting it… and allow for more consultations,” Hariri told reporters afterwards.

“I agreed to this request.”

Hariri said he hoped his decision would “allow for a responsible dialogue in a serious manner… that would settle disputes.”

In announcing his resignation, he had levelled harsh criticism at Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah, saying they had taken over Lebanon and were destabilising the region.

He also said he had been forced to leave Lebanon because of threats to his safety, invoking the 2005 assassination of his father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

– Iran-Saudi struggle –

But he left the door open to withdrawing the resignation if the powerful Shiite Hezbollah group pulled back from involvement in regional conflicts.

Speaking in the evening after meeting parliament speaker Nabih Berri, Hariri called on “everyone” to respect this “policy of distance”, saying that would “improve our relations with our Arab brothers “.

Hariri accuses Hezbollah of violating Lebanon’s policy of “disassociation” from regional conflicts by fighting alongside Syria’s government and assisting Huthi rebels in Yemen.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has said the group was open to talks, though whether any real compromise could be reached remained unclear.