Saad Hariri to keep his position as Lebanon’s prime minister

Tabnak – After weeks of controversies over Saad Hariri’s surprise resignation, he finally admitted that he will continue to work as Lebanon’s prime minister. The decision comes apparently as a result of an agreement between various Lebanese political factions.

Press TV reports that Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has revoked his resignation, one month after he made a surprise departure announcement in the Saudi capital of Riyadh and threw the Middle Eastern country into political turmoil.

The Lebanese premier formally rescinded his resignation on Tuesday following a deal reached with rival political parties at the end of the first cabinet meeting to be held since November 4, when he shocked his Mediterranean nation with his bizarre decision.

“The cabinet thanks its leader (Hariri) for his position and for revoking his resignation,” Hariri said, reading from a cabinet statement. “All (the government's) political components decide to dissociate themselves from all conflicts, disputes, wars or the internal affairs of brother Arab countries, in order to preserve Lebanon's economic and political relations,” the statement further read.

Reuters notes in a report that Hariri quit his job in a broadcast from Saudi Arabia a month ago but later said he might withdraw the resignation, providing all parties in Lebanon’s government agree to adhere to the state’s policy of “dissociation” from regional conflicts.

Lebanese officials said Saudi Arabia had coerced Hariri, a long-time ally of the kingdom, into resigning and held him there against his will until an intervention by France led to his return to Lebanon.

Later in November, Hariri himself said that the events that unfolded during his time in Saudi Arabia would remain undisclosed, emphasizing that he does not wish to discuss the details of what happened to him during that period.

Hariri is part of a unity government that includes members of Hezbollah. He assumed a second term as prime minister in December 2016, in a power-sharing government headed by President Michel Aoun, a supporter of Hezbollah.

The country spent two years in political deadlock, without a president, before Aoun's election in October 2016, after Hariri endorsed the latter. Seyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, had said he was sure Hariri was forced to resign as part of Saudi Arabia's policy of stoking sectarian tensions in Lebanon.

At the time, President Aoun also accused Riyadh of kidnapping Hariri. International heavyweights such as the European Union, France, and Germany also called on the kingdom to let him return.

After a nearly three-week absence, Hariri returned to Lebanon on November 22 and put his resignation on hold at Aoun’s request to allow for more consultations on the issue.