Beirut, December 11: Lebanon’s parliament on Thursday granted Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s government its vote of confidence by an overwhelming majority.
Hariri’s 30-member government landed 122 out of a possible 128 votes after three days of debate over the cabinet’s policy statement, most notably on a clause that deals with weapons held by the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.
The vote also came prior to Hariri’s upcoming visit to Syria, a major backer of Hezbollah, for which no firm date has yet been set.
Christian MPs and ministers of the Hariri-led parliamentary majority voiced discontent over the clause, which states the right of “Lebanon, its government, its people, its army and its resistance” to liberate all Lebanese territory.
But they nonetheless granted the cabinet their votes on Thursday.
Hezbollah, which fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006, is commonly referred to as the resistance in Lebanon.
But Hezbollah, which has two ministers in cabinet, regularly states its weapons are not open to discussion.
It argues its arms are necessary to protect the country against any future aggression by Israel, which withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000 after a 22-year occupation.
Hariri’s US- and Western-backed alliance defeated a Hezbollah-led opposition supported by Syria and Iran in a June vote.
But his national unity government did not see the light until nearly five months later due to tense ties between the two alliances’ regional backers and disagreement on the distribution of portfolios with his political rivals.
—Agencies