Salam says only opponents are those who refuse to abide by ministerial statement

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Thursday that his only opponents are those who refuse to abide by the ministerial statement which vowed a state monopoly on arms.

Although Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad said Wednesday after a Hezbollah delegation's meeting with Salam that his party is keen on permanent understanding and accord with Salam and all components in the country, Salam seemed to refer to Hezbollah by those refusing to abide by the ministerial statement.

Salam's comments came during a chat with journalists at the Grand Serail. "I am committed to good relations based on mutual respect with all political components in the country, and I have no opponent except those who refuse to abide by the ministerial statement," Salam told local Nidaa al-Watan newspaper, accusing Hezbollah, according to the daily, of a "populist" campaign against him that will not succeed in dissuading his government from implementing its reform program.

Nawaf said he had visited Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh to urge him to call for an extraordinary session to accelerate the pace of reforms.

In a speech Wednesday, Salam said there will be no stability in Lebanon without a complete Israeli withdrawal and without the reconstruction of what was destroyed by the Israeli aggression but added that Hezbollah must disarm.

"There can be no security or safety without the state's monopoly on arms and without the state's full control of war and peace decisions," Salam said, adding that "these are non-negotiables". "We may have been very late but there will be no drawing back from now on."