Lebanon's rival March 8 and March 14 camps faced off Tuesday over the country’s official position on the growing crisis in increasigly isolated Syria.
The rift comes as Lebanon prepares to preside over the United Nation's Security Council in September where it will be forced to walk a tightrope between growing Arab frustration with Syria and its own 'special relationship' with the regime of Bashar Assad.
While the Hizbullah-led March 8 coalition continued to defend its support for the Syrian regime in its crackdown on opposition groups, the Future Movement-led March 14 alliance called on Syrian authorities to put an end to “crimes against humanity” and swiftly implement political reforms.
“As the Arab and international positions with regard to the events in Syria intensify, it is necessary, without any delay or hesitation, to stop violence and crimes against humanity, as well as withdraw the army from the streets and hold those who killed protesters accountable,” the Future Movement statement said.
Rallying in Syria’s defense, Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun dismissed reports of any incidents in Syria, describing the country’s situation as calm with the exception of “minor incidents in a neighborhood or two in Homs.”
Aoun accused the West of seeking to divide the Syrian people and provoke civil strife in a bid to weaken the regime and serve the interests of Israel.
“The danger is outside Syria and what is happening is media pressure,” Aoun said.
He added that the Western pressure was aimed at pushing Syria into severing its ties with Iran and anti-Israel terror movements Hamas and Hizbullah.
Snapping back at Syria’s allies in the March 8-dominated government, lawmakers of the Future Movement described the positions articulated by Lebanon’s foreign minister during his visit to Damascus as a “reminder of the era of Syrian tutelage over Lebanon.”
“Lebanon has special ties with Syria and is keen to preserve them but on the basis of mutual respect rather than through the complete surrender of the role of the Lebanese state,” Future Movement MPs said in a statement released after their weekly meeting.
Warning against the deepening schism between Lebanese camps, already at odds over the government's tepid position on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for strengthening Lebanese unity, in light of the “highly volatile” situation prevailing in the Arab world.
“The region is passing through a decisive and grave time which necessitates all Lebanese to strengthen internal unity,” Mikati said at an iftar Monday evening.
“We must prevent the danger from reaching our delicate internal structure, which cannot afford any destruction or teenage politics that could cause severe damage to national unity,” he added.
“Where would Lebanon’s interests lie if it were plunged into the turbulence surrounding us?” Mikati asked.
He called on the rival political camps to combine efforts to “strengthen stability and cooperate in order to allow the government to do its duty to ease the social burdens of day-to-day life on the Lebanese people.”