Lebanon's leading Sunni Muslim politician Saad al-Hariri said on Monday he was suspending his role in political life and would not run in a forthcoming parliamentary election, a bombshell announcement during a national financial collapse.
Hariri, three times prime minister, also called on his party not to run any candidates in the election, indicating several factors were behind his decision, including Iranian influence -- a reference to heavily armed Shiite group Hezbollah.
"I am convinced that there is no room for any positive opportunity for Lebanon in light of Iranian influence, international disarray, national division, sectarianism, and the collapse of the state," he said.
"We will continue to serve our people, but our decision is to suspend any role in power, politics and parliament," Hariri said in a live televised address, his voice breaking with emotion as he spoke in front of a portrait of his father.
Hariri inherited the political mantle of his father, Rafik al-Hariri, after his assassination in 2005. But while he remains the leading Sunni, his political fortunes have waned in recent years, with his position weakened by the loss of Saudi support.
Hariri's announcement comes as Lebanon suffers an economic meltdown which the World Bank has described as one of the sharpest ever globally. The sectarian elite has failed to take steps to address the crisis even as the bulk of the population has fallen into poverty.
'Free hand for Hezbollah'
Reacting to the shock announcement, Lebanon's leading Druze politician said Hariri's decision not to quit politics "means a free hand for Hezbollah and the Iranians".
Walid Jumblatt said he was very saddened by the decision of Lebanon's leading Sunni Muslim politician. "We're losing a pillar of independence and moderation," said Jumblatt.
Having led opposition to Hezbollah's arsenal for years, Hariri was widely seen to set the issue aside as he began to make political compromises with the powerful Shiite group and some of its allies.
This resulted in a deal in 2016 that made the Hezbollah-allied Christian politician Michel Aoun president, with Hariri becoming prime minister for a second time.
While continuing to oppose Hezbollah's possession of arms, Hariri described the arsenal as a regional matter bigger than Lebanon, where he said the focus should be on tackling economic problems. Anti-Hezbollah hawks accused him of compromises and the decision cost him support from oil-rich Saudi Arabia.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
