“It also pushed the Future Movement to take the stances it had taken to get close to the Syrian line,” he said.The
remarks drew criticism from Future MP Ammar Houri, who earlier Saturday
told a local radio station that Machnouk’s comments are “merely a
personal analysis.” He also called for bridging gaps within the movement
and restructuring it.

But Machnouk stood by his remarks, writing
on Twitter: “It is true I don’t represent the Future [Movement] in what
I [previously] said, but my words represent the hidden conscience of
the movement.”

“It is time to say the facts as they are without any ambiguity,” Machnouk added.

In
a statement Friday, Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri also
criticized Machnouk’s remarks, saying the kingdom’s policy is not to
interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs.

During the LBCI
interview, Machnouk had also said that the nomination of MP Sleiman
Frangieh for the presidency by Hariri was proposed by Britain and later
adopted by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

However, the embassies of
the two countries refuted the claims, reiterating calls on Lebanese
rivals to end power vacuum that entered its third year last month.

“The
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia never did and never will intervene in Lebanon’s
internal affairs, especially the presidency issue, which it considers
as a sovereignty matter and only the Lebanese brothers can decide on
it,” Asiri said in a statement released by the embassy’s press office.

He
said Riyadh’s role is limited to encouraging Lebanese officials “to
find a solution to the political crisis and end the presidential vacuum
so that the work of state institutions can be normalized and Lebanon can
move to a phase of stability and economic prosperity, regardless of who
the next president may be.”