In a speech he delivered at BIEL to mark the 11th anniversary of his father, late PM Rafik Hariri, Saad Hariri said that “the Syrian tutelage era did not manage to create individuals who are bigger than Lebanon and the Iranian intimidation era will not manage to create leaders who are bigger than Lebanon.”
“Lebanon is for all the Lebanese people,” he added.
Hariri expressed his pride that “he does not have ‘a regional role,’ unlike other parties that are sending Lebanese men to fight to death beyond the country’s borders,” as he said.
Speaking of his endorsement of Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Frangieh, he noted that “he had the courage to launch this initiative, not to achieve partisan interests for the Future Movement, but rather to achieve Lebanon's interest and put an end to the presidential vacuum.”
“Boycotting presidential voting sessions is not a constitutional right. Loyalty to allies is a nice thing but it should never surpass Lebanon’s interest,” he added.
Commenting on the Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea’s support for the candidacy of MP Michel Aoun, Hariri said that he welcomes this reconciliation, adding that if only it happened long time ago, it would've spared Christians and Lebanon a lot of problems.
On another note, Hariri pointed out that some parties “chose to battle in the wrong places and under the wrong slogans.”