Before a crowd of thousands in Beirut's Martyr Square, former PM Saad Hariri delivered an eloquent speech to commemorate the 21st anniversary of his father's assassination. Twenty-one years ago, Rafic Hariri's death marked the beginning of the end for a number of key actors in the Lebanese political sphere. Many lost their lives. While Hariri's speech was wrapped in polished phrases tinged with ambiguity, allowing him to avoid clear commitments, his observations of the rapidly changing regional balance were clear. His clear awareness of national and party responsibilities, the opportunity that international pressure affords, and the critical window in which Lebanon finds itself, obliges Hariri to drop all pretense. If he does not, the former PM will lose all credibility and be left speaking to an ever-shrinking audience.

What did Hariri say in his speech last Saturday? What did he not say directly? And what lies between the lines? 

"I am the primary Sunni leader in Lebanon; no one has been able to eliminate me, replace me, or inherit my political and popular role. Even my brother failed in his repeated attempts to gain a foothold in Lebanon’s internal equation. I affirm the continuation of 'National Harirism' [a term coined by Hezbollah] as a cross-sectarian movement, rejecting confinement to the Sunni sphere alone. Like my martyred father, I am a builder of bridges of communication and openness, not walls that separate and isolate...

"My presence, though it may disturb some—both inside and outside the country—is not directed against anyone. I do not bet on Arab or Gulf disputes to re-enter political life. I am present, and the people are my strength and protective shield. I will be open to our nearest neighbor, Syria, the new regime that follows a bygone one which wronged me, my people, and my father before me. However, engagement with a Syria supported by Saudi Arabia is a station, not the destination...

"I affirm my commitment to the Taif Agreement, born from the womb of Saudi Arabia, and support the exclusivity of arms, confining them as desired by the international community—that is, submitting to international and Arab legitimacy and working within it—not relying on narrow internal calculations, whose consequences I have experienced and suffered.

"My final return has not yet been decided (our meeting is soon—perhaps a bit later than your wishes, but certainly closer than others suggest). However, I will be with you and beside you through the Future Movement, which will be led in the upcoming phase by my aunt Bahia and her son Ahmad, whom I appointed as Deputy Head of the movement to reorganize its ranks, reaffirm its political presence, and perhaps lead a parliamentary bloc if the parliamentary elections take place on their scheduled date, by some miracle...

"No parliamentary elections are on the horizon. All set dates are mere representations and lies. Tell me their date! I no longer want to lie to you. Even Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri submitting his candidacy request is not serious, as his insistence on keeping the council doors closed leaves the option for postponement open. Since it is not possible to conduct the entitlement under the current law, it is necessary either to amend it or, if retaining it, to issue executive decrees for its implementation. The Parliament is required to question the government about its delay in deciding this file or to withdraw the authority from it to the Parliament...

“They will hear our voices, and they will count our votes. My somewhat ambiguous phrase confirms the as-yet undefined participation, awaiting clarity and the dissipation of the fog. Our continued absence for another four years would practically mean our elimination. This means you will participate individually and collectively according to a vision to be determined later. But absence is no longer an option, and seclusion has reached its final step...

"I remind you of Gebran Tueni's famous, patriotic, and unifying oath—unlike all the hateful sectarian speeches, instigations, and positions, whose owners mastered backstabbing and turned themselves into knives to stab me. Here, I specifically mean the two largest Christian parties, but not exclusively.

"I send greetings to my steadfast family in the south and to those displaced from it, who are subjected to daily attacks. I affirm my solidarity with my family in Tripoli, whom we have neglected—especially the officials whose credibility has fallen, some of whom conspired and turned against me. And this does not stop with President Najib Mikati and MP Ashraf Rifi, but extends to many who abandoned me at the first crossroads...

"My stance on weapons is known and unchanged, and I support the exclusivity of arms as affirmed by the President since he took the constitutional oath. We will stand by his side in the upcoming phase, along with others, to support the mandate and ensure its success—especially since he steers the country away from internal conflict or strife, which we have worked to prevent time and again."

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Annahar.