Lebanon: Hariri's supporters denounced a "coup" by Hezbollah

Hundreds of supporters of the incumbent Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri, demonstrated Monday, January 24 in Lebanon against Hezbollah, accusing it of conducting a "coup" by trying to impose its candidate as head of government. These events occur after Najib Mikati, Hezbollah candidate for prime minister, has emerged as the favorite to be named as future prime minister, instead of Saad Hariri.

The demonstrators burned tires and blocked several roads in the country in the evening, said an official security services, and called for a "day of anger" on Tuesday. The army and police have increased their numbers in many areas, he said. In the late afternoon, demonstrations hostile to Hezbollah, its leader Hassan Nasrallah and Najib Mikati has been growing, in Tripoli, the largest city in the north and Sunni stronghold, but also in Sidon, the birthplace of the Hariri family, in Beirut, and in several Sunni-majority areas.

"After the coup that aims to allow Hezbollah to exert its control over the Lebanese Republic, we call (...) (...) all the people of Lebanon to express their anger and rejection of Persian tutelage through peaceful demonstrations, "he announced to the press Moustapha Allouche, board member training policy of Saad Hariri (Future Movement).

These events follow the announcements of the Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who said that his training will not participate in a cabinet led by a Hezbollah candidate, when consultations are initiated to appoint a new head of government in Lebanon. The President of the Republic, Michel Suleiman on Monday began talks with the parliamentary groups to appoint a new prime minister, a position for which the former leader appeared Najib Mikati as a favorite.

"The Future Movement announced today that he refuses to participate in any government headed by a candidate of the '8-Mars, '" said a statement from the press office of Mr. Hariri, with reference to the opposition bringing together the Shiite movements Hezbollah and Amal, and the formation of the Christian Michel Aoun, who has 57 elected to Parliament, 128 seats.

Prime Minister Hariri confirmed Thursday, January 20 at night, his candidacy to succeed himself. But after his meeting with Michel Sleiman on Monday, Najib Mikati landed consensus candidate in a crisis. "There is no difference between one party and another, I am against the exclusion of any party," he told reporters.

"I told Mr. Hariri (...) I reach out to everybody," he added, looking confident. Former prime minister for three months in 2005, Najib Mikati, aged 55, was elected on the lists of Saad Hariri won a majority in 2009 parliamentary. This has however been a billionaire rival of Hariri, by its position claiming the post of prime minister, reserved for the country's Sunni Multifaith.

"The choice is clear: there is one candidate who called Saad Hariri and another candidate who is the 8-Mars," the statement said Hariri, saying "everything that is said about of a consensus candidate is window dressing. " Regarded as a moderate pro-Syrian Nadjib Mikati had applied for membership on Sunday calling for "cooperation of all Lebanese (...) to get the country out of this grave crisis." The secretary general of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah said Sunday that his party wanted to see the establishment of a government of "national partnership", "with the participation of all parties." To impose its candidate for prime minister, Hezbollah needs eight votes over the fifty-seven that are insured.

Walid Jumblatt, leader of the Druze community native of Lebanon, announced Friday, January 21 fall into the camp of Hezbollah in the current political crisis in Lebanon. The rally by Mr Jumblatt does not mean that the ten other members of his bloc will follow. Eleven Hezbollah ministers resigned on January 12 of the unity government, causing it to fall, after months of wrestling with the camp of Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, on the UN tribunal charged with identifying and to try the assassins of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Saad's father.

• Hariri will not take part in Hezbollah government (24/01/2011)
• Lebanon's Hariri Rules Out Joining Hezbollah Government - Voice of America (24/01/2011)
• Hezbollah Chooses Lebanon's Next Prime Minister - New York Times (24/01/2011)
• Lebanon on a knife-edge - GulfNews (23/01/2011)
• Hezbollah would consider Lebanon unity government (24/01/2011)

Hezbollah (wikipedia)