Head of the Independence Movement says Hezbollah’s possession of weapons violates state sovereignty.
Head of the Independence Movement Michel Moawad said Hezbollah should back down on its conditions regarding the Cabinet policy statement and seek the protection of state institutions in line with the principles of the Baabda Declaration.
“Self-security measures failed to protect Hezbollah which is in need of a political cover provided by the government,” Moawad told a gathering of March 14 officials in Sydney, Australia.
Hezbollah would secure the government’s political cover only based on the terms of the Baabda Declaration and in line with the principles of a sovereign Lebanese state, Moawad added.
The March 14 alliance will continue to confront Hezbollah’s attempts to impose its regional agenda on the Lebanese state, Moawad stressed, saying sovereignty and independence could only be achieved once Hezbollah surrenders its weapons to state institutions.
“The March 14 coalition will defend Lebanon’s neutrality and sovereignty against all foreign powers and will seek to enforce the state’s authority over all its territories. Any party that refuses to recognize the exclusive right of legitimate armed forces to bear weapons violates this sovereignty.”
Moawad warned against attempts by Hezbollah to undermine the role of state institutions in order to pave the way for the abolition of the Taif agreement and added that the March 14 alliance would remain united to confront such attempts.
“The March 14 movement is more than an alliance of political parties. The March 14 coalition is united over the deeply rooted principles of national coexistence, freedom, democracy and diversity,” Moawad said.
However, to defend those principles, the March 14 alliance needs the support of the Lebanese Diaspora, Moawad added.
“The March 14 alliance will not be able to rebuild Lebanon without the active participation of the Lebanese Diaspora which represents a big force on both the political and economic levels,” he told March 14 representative at the White Castle in Sydney.
Before his meeting with the March 14 delegation, Moawad visited the Consulate General of Lebanon in New South Wales where he held talks with Consul General George Bitar Ghanem.
Later in the day, Moawad visited Holroyd City Council where he met with Mayor Nasr Kafrouni whose family hails from Lebanon and MP Toni Issa.