Salam tells Derian, 'government decisions will not be taken lightly'

BEIRUT — Prime Minister Nawaf Salam assured Lebanon's Grand Mufti Abdelatif Derian on Thursday that his government's decisions "will not be taken lightly," insisting that Cabinet remains determined to see through the intended reforms, from state sovereignty to cleaning up the financial sector, during a visit at the residence of the highest Sunni authority in the country, Dar al-Fatwa.

Salam's meeting with Derian came just hours before Cabinet was set to meet to discuss several economic issues. Government-led efforts to advance negotiations with the International Monetary Fund— with the aim of unlocking an assistance program, which is conditioned on the implementation of reforms — are facing opposition from the banks and their political allies.

"Government decisions will not be taken lightly," Salam asserted, according to comments cited by the state-run National News Agency (NNA). "There is determination and a will to implement everything that comes out of Cabinet, with caution and wisdom, within the framework of the Constitution, the Taif Agreement [which ended the 1975-1990 Civil War and established the Second Republic] and the laws in force, which guide its actions."

"We will not allow slander or misinformation about our government's constructive path, which continues its reforms and its efforts to save Lebanon from the clutches of the Israeli enemy, which continues to violate Lebanese sovereignty," he stated.

Two days prior, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem declared during a televised address that his party would not accept Lebanese officials acting as "in the service of the United States," who, he said, are seeking to obtain by political means what Israel could not by war — namely, Hezbollah's disarmament.

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"The government will spare no diplomatic effort to reach the desired solution with international envoys and to rebuild and rehabilitate all regions targeted by the Israeli enemy," Salam told Derian.

Hezbollah has been critical of the authorities' inaction in response to Israeli violations of the cease-fire reached with the party at the end of last November. The Israeli army attacks Lebanon almost daily, killing more than 320 people since the truce, and continues to occupy several positions in southern Lebanon.

The media office of Dar al-Fatwa said the meeting was marked by Salam's "confirmation" that the government continues to address "longstanding crises affecting citizens," taking "concrete action ... with rigorous follow-up by its ministers."

"Cabinet is a place of consensus and agreement for the good of the country and the Lebanese people," the statement added.

Regarding the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for May, which are also a point of major contention among MPs, Salam said it was necessary that no delays occur.

"It is unacceptable to extend or postpone the current parliamentary term," he stressed, as debate continues among MPs who wish to amend the electoral law to allow expatriates to vote for all 128 members of Parliament and those who want to maintain the provision limiting their votes to six seats.