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Lebanese PM denounces Hezbollah leader’s remarks

By Xinhua

Beirut : Lebanese Premier Fouad Seniora on Thursday denounced Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s remarks, local Naharnet news website reported.

In a statement released by his office, Seniora said Nasrallah’s remarks revealed the real purposes of his party, which aim at changing the current political system and torpedoing the Taif agreement.

“Those who seek partnership should rather seek middle solutions instead of setting conditions and clinging to it,” Seniora added.

The Taif agreement, also known as National Reconciliation Accord, was reached to provide “the basis for the ending of the civil war and the return to political normalcy in Lebanon.”

Signed in Taif of Saudi Arabia in October in 1989, the agreement helped to end the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war.

On Wednesday, Nasrallah declared in a televised interview that there would be no president in Lebanon unless the opposition gets veto power in the future government.

He accused the parliamentary majority of creating the current presidential deadlock by refusing a partnership with the opposition.

Nasrallah also warned that the anti-government camp would take decisive measures within 10 days if mediation efforts failed.

Seniora said that blocking the parliament from doing its job deprived Lebanon of many chances and led to crippling the national economy. “If all parties adhere to their terms and views destruction will prevail,” he warned.

Lebanon has been without a president since Nov. 24 last year when ex-President Emile Lahoud stepped down without a successor and the sharply divided Lebanese parliament has delayed the elections for 11 times without a consensus.

The Lebanese ruling coalition and the opposition have been separated by a wide chasm since six of the latter’s ministers resigned from Seniora’s government in November 2006.

Since then, the opposition does not acknowledge the legality of the government which does not include Shiite ministers.