Lebanon's Hariri moves to opposition

Feb 14, 2011, 18:13 GMT

Beirut- On the sixth anniversary of his father's assassination, Lebanon's outgoing premier Saad Hariri said Monday he would move to the opposition and vowed to foil any plan by Hezbollah to change Lebanon's democratic identity.

'We are now in the opposition, but we will be committed to the constitution, the UN backed Tribunal for Lebanon (probing his father's assassination) and protecting the Lebanese people from the use of non-state weapons,' Hariri said at a rally, referring to arms used by Hezbollah.

Saad Hariri's father and former prime minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated on February 14, 2005, along with 22 others in Beirut. Hariri was known for opposing the Syrian military occupation of his country. His supporters blamed his death on Syria and its allies in Lebanon - a charge rejected by Damascus.

The probe into Hariri's assassination, by the United Nations backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon, has caused political turmoil in Lebanon and the fall last month of the national unity government led by Saad Hariri after Hezbollah and its allies withdrew support.

Hezbollah has demanded that Lebanon end all cooperation with the court, which it says is a US-Israeli court.

'We only adhere to our democratic system and constitution. Congratulations to the others (Hezbollah and their allies) for kidnapping the rule,' Hariri said.

'We are the ones who started the road of freedom. To this road, we will all come back,' Hariri said, referring to Lebanon's Cedar Revolution in 2005, which was triggered by his father's assassination and led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from the country after 30 years.

'The struggle now is between the Lebanon we want and the Lebanon they (Hezbollah) want,' the head of Lebanese Christian Forces, Samir Geagea, told the rally.

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