Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Sunday all political parties have a responsibility in solving the crises facing Lebanon, and that no side should blame the other for all the country's problems because they “have been accumulating for some time.”
“We must take certain decisions, especially on the economic level, and we should not hold each other responsible for the problems in the country,” the PM said at the Center House, addressing officials as well as supporters, who came to congratulate him on the success of the cardiac procedure he underwent last week.
Hariri said his government would resume work on Monday because the country faces many difficulties and needs serious work.
“We have to take decisions for the benefit of the Lebanese citizen, whether regarding CEDRE or the reforms that we must undertake,” he said.
The PM spoke about a plan that political parties agreed on in the ministerial statement with regard to the budget, the nature of the CEDRE Conference - that was held in Paris last April - and its reforms, and ways to fight corruption and waste of public funds.
According to Hariri, “everyone,” mainly the Lebanese administration, will bear the brunt of reforms introduced by his government. But citizens “will be the least affected.”
“We have to fight corruption and squander and implement electricity projects as we have promised citizens,” he said.
“There is no political party in Lebanon that doesn’t have corrupt people in its ranks,” he said, adding that these individuals should stand before the judiciary.
Ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hariri is about to finalize a comprehensive vision on resolving the country’s crises.
It includes a package of administrative and financial reforms, the electricity plan, this year’s draft budget and the investment program for the CEDRE conference, which includes in its first phase the implementation of 150 projects.
“All parties should responsively deal with Hariri’s roadmap, on condition they don’t seek to implement it in stages,” the sources said.
They said Hariri would launch this week talks with all parties represented in his government to discuss his vision.
