March 14 alliance from Majdelyoun: We reject Hizbullah's arms

Around 200 March 14 alliance politicians, academics and journalists gathered in Sidon on Sunday in a meeting entitled "Coexistence in South Lebanon as a Common National Responsibility" at Bahia Hariri's Majdelyoun residence. The meeting also held a message of support to a memo that MPs Fouad Saniora and Bahia Hariri have handed to President Michel Suleiman.

MPs Fouad Siniora, Bahia Hariri and Boutros Harb launched the large scale meeting by delivering each a speech.

To begin with, Future bloc leader Siniora began his speech by rejecting any arm outside state institutions considering it as  illegitimate, stressing that only legitimate armed forces have the right to carry weapons.

"Two weeks separate us from "Abra tempest" fomented by casting aside the authority of the state through resorting to hegemonistic militia tactics," Siniora added.

The deputy reiterated that Sheikh al-Assir was lured into the trap that was set for him and for Sidon city, where he blocked the road and staged a protest.

The lawmaker went on to stress that, "We won't come, at any price, under the rule of Hizbullah weapons."

As for MP Bahia Hariri, she credited Marc 14 youth with restoring liberty to the main square and wrapped up on stressing need for March 14's indebtedness to their heroic struggle and sacrifice.

Furthermore, MP Butros Harb stressed that all arms are rejected.

"We reject Christian, Shiite, Sunnite or Druze illegitimate arms," and call for keeping them under the control of the state," he said.

Harb also voiced that, "We will resume our struggle in order to restore the state of law which preserves our dignity."

After the three-hours meeting, MP Fares Souaid appeared to deliver the statement made by the conferees, saying that “Sidon is still bleeding because the state did not heal its wounds,” pointing out that the coexistence is a common national responsibility to confront the arms.”

The statement read the rejection of violence and counter-violence, while the authority should differentiate between the right and wrong.

At the end, March 14 alliance called for considering Sidon an arms free city, except for the army weapons and urging to prevent all armed appearances in the city.