The media office of President Saad Rafik Hariri issued an invitation for those wishing to cover and photograph the commemoration of the martyrdom of President Rafik Hariri at his tomb in downtown Beirut next Tuesday, February 14. This indicates a decisive return of Hariri to Lebanon to commemorate the occasion. Sources from "Al-Mustaqbal" told "Nidaa Al-Watan" that President Hariri will balance between commemorating the anniversary amidst a political and popular crowd at the martyr's tomb or during his reception at "Beit al-Wasat" for former ministers, MPs, and personalities within the "Al-Mustaqbal" sphere, in addition to popular delegations from various areas, especially Beirut, Sidon, and Tripoli, while refraining from making any political statements.
This year's commemoration marks his first activity after suspending political and parliamentary life. Last year, President Hariri arrived at "Beit al-Wasat" and announced a notable political stance, approximately three months before the parliamentary elections in May 2022, which led to the political retreat of his party and the loss of its parliamentary bloc, before returning to the United Arab Emirates, where he currently resides and conducts his business away from Lebanese politics.
This invitation followed efforts by Bahaa Hariri, head of the Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development, to commemorate the anniversary, where she held a series of consultative meetings to coordinate Sidon's participation in the commemoration and in welcoming President Saad Hariri at the tomb, as well as arranging schedules for events and personalities from Sidon at "Beit al-Wasat" during Hariri's brief stay in Beirut.
Hariri did not stop at consultations but also made a series of statements on the occasion after a lengthy dialogue and serious discussion about the general situation and several life, environmental, and living issues, affirming that "the martyr president Rafik Hariri remains in the hearts of the people, and with every passing year since his assassination, we feel the extent of the national loss more, especially in these difficult days Lebanon is experiencing, and we understand better why Rafik Hariri was killed, because he wanted to build a state and believed in the role of the country and the capability of the Lebanese to rise up for their homeland."
She added, "Rafik Hariri's project was the project of building a homeland, a state, and institutions, and Lebanon's role in the region and the world, and he was able to advance this project and accomplish a lot despite all the contradictions in the country. Today, we do not have Rafik Hariri, nor do we have the luxury of time or favorable conditions, but the will is present, and our faith in Rafik Hariri's project will remain strong."
During her meetings, she met coordinators of neighborhood and regional committees at the Hariri Foundation, members of the Hariri Family Association and their relatives from the Al-Sharif family, in the presence of the association’s secretary Ali Al-Sharif, and a delegation from the southern commission of "Future Lebanon Scouts" led by the general commissioner of the association in Lebanon, leader Mustafa Habli, and southern commissioner leader Nabil Al-Sayyid. She also visited the Cyprus Family Association, chaired by Engineer Hilal Qabrusli, at the home of the association’s vice president Ahmad Qabrusli (Abu Salah) in Majdalyoun, with the attendance of administrative board members. Hariri confirmed during the meetings that "with every year that passes in Lebanon, with all the events, tragedies, crises, and collapses that the country has experienced since 2005, we understand more why they killed Rafik Hariri... Their problem with Rafik Hariri is that he wanted to build the state, and that was his project, and we will not abandon this project but will remain alongside the people with Saad Hariri and everyone who believes in Rafik Hariri's project."
