Al-Hariri holds off on resigning on Aoun request
The Lebanese prime minister went on one-day Cairo visit to meet Al-Sisi, discuss Lebanese situation
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri said that he decided to hold off his resignation from office, after Lebanese President Michel Aoun requested he allow for more dialogue.
He made the announcement in a televised statement after attending Lebanon’s independence day celebrations.
Al-Hariri had presented his resignation on Wednesday to President Aoun, who urged him to wait for dialogue regarding his reasons, the minister said in the televised statement, upon arriving back in Lebanon following a trip Cairo.
He arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for a one-day visit and met with President Abdel Fattah AlSisi to discuss the latest developments of the situation in the region, particularly developments of the situation in Lebanon.
On the same day, Al-Sisi received a call from his Lebanese counterpart Aoun, and discussed the bilateral relations between Egypt and Lebanon. They also discussed developments in the political situation in Lebanon, and stressed the importance of maintaining Lebanon’s stability and the need to uphold Lebanese national interests.
The two presidents agreed to continue intensive coordination and consultation on the latest developments.
This is the first time Al-Hairiri returns to his country, following his surprise declaration of resignation from Riyadh. He made that announcement in early November, citing fears of facing assassination, saying that there is a plot to target his life. He claimed that Iran, through its Lebanese ally Hezbollah, works to destabilise his country and the region.
In that speech, the prime minister asserted called for the elimination of Iranian influence in Lebanon, adding that “wherever Iran interferes or exists, damages follow, as it has a big desire to destroy the world”. Al-Hariri’s resignation has raised international controversy, threatening a major regional crisis.
The resignation was not announced from Lebanon, but from Saudi Arabia, the political backer of Al-Hariri. Many Lebanese people believe that Riyadh pushed him to make the decision, according to the BBC.