Saudi Editorialists Criticize Hariri Over Unrest
Two prominent Saudi writers criticized outgoing Lebanese premier Saad Hariri in editorials published on Wednesday, saying his supporters used sectarian language and acted like Hizbullah with violent protests.
In an editorial in Saudi-owned al-Hayat entitled "The Lebanese Opposition Cloned,” Daud al-Shiryan wrote that Hariri's bloc, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, had "used the same methods" on Tuesday as his opponents in Hizbullah and allied parties.
Demonstrations against the appointment of Hizbullah-backed Najib Miqati as prime minister-designate turned violent on Tuesday as protesters burned tires and temporarily blocked main highways.
Hariri's camp "tried to impose a prime minister using the streets and burning tires, employing the same means used by their adversaries, which they have criticized," Shiryan wrote.
He continued: "Some deputies of Hariri's bloc have employed clearly sectarian language ... and have reproduced the language of certain Hizbullah MPs."
However, Hariri denounced violence on Tuesday, saying in a televised speech that it was his duty to express total rejection of all forms of rioting.
For Shiryan, Hariri's departure "is not the end of the world," and he must "accept the rules of democracy" and support Miqati as premier.
Abdul Rahman al-Rashid writing in Asharq al-Awsat said Hariri "was unjustly dismissed from the post of prime minister, but the actions of his supporters were not civilized and they behaved like the other party," in a reference to Hizbullah.
"The images of protesters who descended on the streets to block traffic and burn tires do not correspond to the image of March 14 (Hariri's camp), which had been a movement in the Arab world that respected the rules," wrote Rashid, a director general of the al-Arabiya satellite channel.
He said Hariri should reach out to Miqati, whom he described as a "respectable personality."(AFP-Naharnet)
Source: Agence France Presse
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