Love him or hate him, Lebanese want Saad Hariri home

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s divided politicians rarely agree on anything, but they have fleetingly united in calling for resigned Prime Minister Saad Hariri to return home, even if their motivations vary vastly, reports AFP.

Hariri announced his resignation on November 4, in a shock statement delivered from Saudi Arabia on the kingdom’s Al-Arabiya television station.

The resignation, which reportedly took even his closest advisers by surprise, as well as his decision to announce it from abroad, quickly led to speculation about whether he had been forced to step down by Riyadh.

Then, a massive wave of arrests of high-profile figures within Saudi Arabia led to swirling rumours about whether Hariri too was being held against his will.

Hariri’s detractors, including the powerful Hezbollah movement and its allies, have used the speculation to paint him as feeble and at the mercy of his Saudi sponsors.

On Wednesday, President Michel Aoun, a political rival of Hariri’s despite the deal they made to form a government, directly charged Riyadh with having “detained” the Lebanese premier.

“Nothing justifies the failure of Prime Minister Saad Hariri to return for 12 days, therefore we consider him to be held and detained, contrary to the Vienna Convention,” Aoun said in a tweet on the official Lebanese presidency account.

Aoun is an ally of the powerful Hezbollah movement that has long been a thorn in Hariri’s side, and the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah has also suggested the premier was being held.

Hariri’s own Future Movement has called his return its “top priority.”

Hariri tried to put paid to suggestions he was being held against his will in an interview with his party’s Future TV on Saturday.

“I am free here. If I want to travel tomorrow, I will,” Hariri said. “I will return to Lebanon very soon,” he added, pledging to land in Beirut “in two or three days”.

But he has yet to return, and pronouncements from France and other countries have suggested he may not have the freedom of movement he professes.

In tweets on Tuesday and Wednesday, he renewed his promise to return, but there was little sign many Lebanese expected his arrival imminently. On the ground, conversation among Lebanese has been consumed by the whereabouts of their erstwhile prime minister and the possibility of his return.

Treatment of the subject has ranged from earnest to satirical, with hashtags and memes circulating on social media as debate rages on the issue.

Soon after his resignation, the hashtags #WhereisSaad? and #freeSaad began to circulate on social media, and a website—freesaadhariri.com—was set up tracking the minutes since he stepped down.

 

Love him or hate him, Lebanese want Saad Hariri home

BEIRUT: Lebanons divided politicians rarely agree on anything, but they have fleetingly united in calling for resigned Prime Minister Saad Hariri to return home, even if their motivations vary vastly, reports AFP. Hariri announced his resignation on November 4, in a shock statement delivered from Saudi Arabia on the kingdoms Al-Arabiya television station. The resignation, which reportedly took even his closest advisers by surprise, as well as his decision to announce it from abroad, quickly led to speculation about whether he had been forced to step down by Riyadh. Then, a massive wave of arrests of high-profile figures within Saudi Arabia led to swirling rumours about whether Hariri too was being held against his will. Hariris detractors, including the powerful Hezbollah movement and its allies, have used the speculation to paint him as feeble and at the mercy of his Saudi sponsors. On Wednesday, President Michel Aoun, a political rival of Hariris despite the deal they made to form a government, directly charged Riyadh with having detained the Lebanese premier. Nothing justifies the failure of Prime Minister Saad Hariri to return for 12 days, therefore we consider him to be held and detained, contrary to the Vienna Convention, Aoun said in a tweet on the official Lebanese presidency account. Aoun is an ally of the powerful Hezbollah movement that has long been a thorn in Hariris side, and the groups leader Hassan Nasrallah has also suggested the premier was being held. Hariris own Future Movement has called his return its top priority. Hariri tried to put paid to suggestions he was being held against his will in an interview with his partys Future TV on Saturday. I am free here. If I want to travel tomorrow, I will, Hariri said. I will return to Lebanon very soon, he added, pledging to land in Beirut in two or three days. But he has yet to return, and pronouncements from France and other countries have suggested he may not have the freedom of movement he professes. In tweets on Tuesday and Wednesday, he renewed his promise to return, but there was little sign many Lebanese expected his arrival imminently. On the ground, conversation among Lebanese has been consumed by the whereabouts of their erstwhile prime minister and the possibility of his return. Treatment of the subject has ranged from earnest to satirical, with hashtags and memes circulating on social media as debate rages on the issue. Soon after his resignation, the hashtags #WhereisSaad? and #freeSaad began to circulate on social media, and a websitefreesaadhariri.comwas set up tracking the minutes since he stepped down.