MP Georges Adwane announced on Tuesday that the Lebanese Forces, his affiliated party, will submit a written question to the government via Parliament regarding the remarks made on Monday by the Vice-Prime Minister, Tarek Mitri, concerning Hezbollah’s disarmament.
In an interview on Monday evening with Al-Horra TV, Mr. Mitri emphasized that the Ministerial Declaration had not set a specific timetable or program for this purpose and had not specified how the government plans to address the issue of Hezbollah's weapons. According to him, the weapons issue would be discussed within the framework of a national defense strategy debate, once the army's capabilities were enhanced.
His comments were sharply criticized by the Lebanese Forces (LF) and the Kataeb Party. Mr. Mitri then attempted to clarify them in a statement published on Tuesday. He stated that the Ministerial Declaration, "which is inspired by President Joseph Aoun’s inaugural speech, confirms the state's right to monopolize weapons and the decision of war and peace." He added, "The government’s position on this matter is not a declaration of intent but a commitment, and it is clear that the Cabinet will set a timetable and adopt concrete measures for this purpose."
However, his clarification did not erase the ambiguity that appeared in his earlier remarks, which, according to the LF, "harmed the government." They added that "the issue of weapons does not lend itself to interpretation, in accordance with the Taif Agreement, the ceasefire agreement, the inaugural speech, and the Ministerial Declaration. All that remains is to implement their content."
MP Georges Adwane further clarified that if his party’s parliamentary bloc had granted its confidence to the government, it was "due to the commitment made regarding the monopoly of weapons." He added that "because Mr. Mitri’s remarks contradict this commitment, a written question on this matter will be submitted to the government."
On his X account, MP Nadim Gemayel described Mr. Mitri's comments as "dangerous." "Hezbollah, through the voice of its Secretary-General, continues to rebel against the state, international resolutions, and the ceasefire agreement it had previously approved," he wrote. "The government and its head must take a clear position on Naeem Qassem’s statements regarding the corrupt triad that has destroyed Lebanon. More importantly, they must take a firm stance against Tarek Mitri’s dangerous remarks, which are in total contradiction with the regime’s policies. Where does this heresy of an absence of a timetable come from? How can the delay in implementing the Constitution, international resolutions, and the ceasefire agreement be justified under the pretext of needing to first develop the army’s capabilities, instead of acting immediately to control Hezbollah’s weapons, as stipulated in the agreement?" the MP commented.
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