DAILY SCOPE: Hariri Trying to Mend Image of Future Party, Relations with Saudi Arabia

Local Editor

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AL-AKHBAR:

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AN-NAHAR:

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AL-BINAA:

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AL-LIWAA:

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Lebanese newspapers on Friday focused on the political stances in the country, with special attention to Future party head, MP Saad Hariri, who declared on Thursday that he "assumes responsibility for the results of the municipal elections and that he will bear all the consequences."

This comes as major rifts have become obvious among the lines of the Future party politicians. All newspapers came together to reflect the unstable status of Hariri, who seems to be not only in rift with politicians from the March 14 camp and the Future party but also with his elder brother Baha'a who hosted resigned Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi in his summer house in Monaco.

AS-SAFIR: Hariri Brothers at Rift, Baha'a Hosts Rifi in Monaco

As-Safir newspaper said on Friday that in a move that surprised all sides in Lebanon, the elder brother of MP Saad Hariri, Baha'a Hariri has come to the picture, where he intentionally contacted resigned Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi and hosted him at his place in Monaco last week, in a step that does not have social dimensions.

According to the paper, Baha'a had called his brother Saad and objected that the latter had backed the Bierutis list Head Jamal Itani, telling Saad that "It is unethical that you support the man who stole your brother's money." [Baha'a has accused Itani of theft of tens of millions of dollars in the ABDALI Project in Jordan].

Baha'a was not only among the first to congratulate Rifi after winning in the Tripoli municipal elections, but also there has been rumors that he was the one who financially funded Rifi for the electoral campaign.

AL-AKHBAR: Hariri Trying to Fix Tarnished Image of Future Party through Social Media

For its part, al-Akhbar newspaper said that since the end of the municipal elections, Saad Hariri has been trying to fix his image in the eyes of the public opinion.

According to the paper, Hariri took to social media, especially twitter, where he is trying to communicate with the people and reflect a friendly image of himself by being modest and nice in his comments and social media interaction.

Trying to repair his image after the municipal elections, Hariri said on Thursday "I am responsible for the results of the elections and I will bear all the consequences," he said. "These elections constitute ... an opportunity for a critical internal assessment, and a political, national and organizational assessment before the Lebanese."

The campaign Hariri is heading to heal his wounded image comes especially after resigned Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi beat the electoral list backed by the Future Movement and the city's traditional powers, dealing a heavy blow to the establishment parties and forcing a re-evaluation of the status quo.

AL-BINAA: Doubts on Hariri's Ability to Mend Cracks in Future Party

Also commenting on the Hariri status in the country and his attempts to patch-up his image, al-Binaa newspaper said that Saad Hariri has sensed the size of breakdown that has hit the Future party, and the arising opposite figures inside the party have become at obvious rifts, questioning whether Hariri has enough time and means to mend the cracks.

Hariri, at an iftar banquet he hosted at the Center House on Thursday tried to ignore the tensions in relations with Saudi Arabia, and pretended like everything was okay, the paper pointed out.

During his speech, he stressed that "Saudi Arabia has been the most prominent and active supporter of Lebanon ever since the Taif Accord ended the bloody Lebanese Civil War."

The newspaper also added that he will not succeed in repairing the tarnished image of his party. The newspaper assured that those who are closest to him inside the March 14 camp also doubt his ability to fix the situation.

"I will not pin the responsibility on anyone and I will not absolve myself and those with me of the responsibility. I'm in charge of drawing lessons from the polls' outcome, I'm at the top of the Future movement's political hierarchy, and I will digest the results no matter how hard they may be," Hariri said.

Source: al-Ahed News