Hariri: Banks Apply International Financial Regulations Approved by Parliament

Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri stated on Friday that the Lebanese and its Shiite community are paying the price for Hizbullah’s involvement in Syria, and assured that Lebanese banks are applying international financial regulations that have been approved by the whole parliament including Hizbullah MPs.

“All of Lebanon, with all its regions and communities, starting with the dear Shiite community, is paying unbearable prices for options in which Lebanon, the Lebanese people and their state have no say,” said Hariri at an Iftar he held in the Bekaa, in honor of families from Zahle, Central Bekaa and Baalbek.

“Lebanon suffers from the involvement of Hizbullah, and not of Lebanon’s Shiites, in wars from which we only reap boycott and sanctions, and which make us lose support for our legitimate institutions,” he added.

Referring to the U.S. financial sanctions against the party, he said: “And now there is a real problem between Hizbullah, and not our Shiite brothers like the party is trying to say, and an essential part of the international community and the Arab community. The U.S. sanctions reflect an aspect of the problem that has multiple faces also in the relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

“The United States is holding accountable or punishing Hizbullah, not our Shiite brothers, for security operations, and most European countries included it on terrorism lists due to security operations attributed to the party, not to our Shiite brothers.”

“The same applies to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and other Arab countries,” he remarked.

On Hizbulah’s involvement in the Syrian war, Hariri stated: “Hizbullah does not want to admit this fact and does not recognize that its security and military policies are a big curse, the price of which is paid by thousands of young people thrown on the battlefronts and hundreds of thousands of Lebanese whose interests are threatened.”

Commenting on the campaign that Hizbullah launched against Lebanon’s banking sector and the blast that targeted the HQ of BLOM Bank, Mustaqbal leader said: “Now the latest trend of Hizbullah is to attack the last sector carrying the economy, which is the banking sector, and the Governor of the Central Bank under the pretext that they are applying laws that they did not even write but that they are obliged to abide by and that the Lebanese Parliament committed to apply!

“Last year, when Parliament passed anti-laundering laws, it practically committed to apply international financial regulations! These laws were approved ... unanimously even Hizbullah MPs voted for them.

“If Hizbullah wants to open an account in an Iranian bank, the demand will be rejected, because of these same laws! Why haven’t we heard from Hizbullah an attack on the Iranian banks and on the Central Bank of Iran? The problem resides in the laws that control the global banking system, not in the Lebanese banks, and the problem resides in Hizbullah and its action, not of the Shiite community, and anyone who says otherwise would be lying!”

Hariri blamed the party for hampering the election of a President, he said: “The party has been blocking the quorum for two years in every session to elect a president. Perhaps the current situation suits it. A paralyzed state and doomed economy and no one able to take any decision to help the citizens and improve their livelihood. And they come and say in the end that the vacancy is Saad Hariri’s fault! Was I offered to choose between two candidates: Samir Geagea and Amin Gemayel and I did not head to the parliament? Do they want Dr Geagea? If they do, I would be the first to go to Parliament and vote for him.”

He assured that despite all of the above “We will remain patient, we will continue to fight through politics, through words, through persuasion, to prevent discord and extremism and prevent the vacancy from becoming a rule in our state.”