By Paula Astih — aawsat.com Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri successfully rallied people behind him after targeting in his speech Hezbollah, making it clear that voters have a choice to make between two very different political atmospheres. “The choice in the elections will be easy: stability, security, economic drive and jobs, or God forbid, economic and social nightmares,” Hariri told the people of Akkar. Hariri’s speech comes at a time when the national registry for electoral lists is almost complete, in light of partisan alliances formed nationwide. The deadline for submitting electoral lists is March 25, announced the Interior Ministry. “This election, with all due respect to all candidates, and all lists, is actually a confrontation between two lines, two approaches and two wills. Between a line that wants to protect Beirut’s political, national, Arab and Beiruti identity, and a line that wants to put its hand on Beirut’s decision and identity,” Hariri said in a speech during a ceremony held by the Future Movement at the premier’s Downtown Beirut residence to announce the electoral list of the Beirut-II district. Called “The Future Is for Beirut,” the 11-member list includes, among others, Hariri, former Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk. After announcing an electoral list he heads in Beirut, Hariri also announced his bloc’s electoral list in Akkar. Prime Minister Hariri patronized Saturday afternoon the Future Movement’s organized ceremony in Khreibet el-Jindi in Akkar to announce “The Future Is for Akkar” electoral list. “The Future Is for Akkar” list that we are announcing today, is the guarantee for each and every one of you, that Akkar’s share of the large national project that we are working on, will be major especially in terms of job opportunities for the youth in Akkar,” he added. “The choice will be yours. You personally. On election day: if you vote for the Future list, the future will be for Akkar, for Lebanon, and for this political, economic and social project. However, if you do not vote, or vote for another list, you would be personally choosing to halt the project.”

Hariri warned against Hezbollah, driven by Syrian regime head Bashar Al Assad, seeking to gain new territories in upcoming elections. “I did not want to talk about the other lists but we cannot ignore what is happening! Is Bashar working on the formation of lists once again? And is Hezbollah fulfilling the task? Here in Akkar, there is a list, and in Tripoli there is a list, allies of the guardianship (Syrian influence) and Hezbollah? In Beirut and Bekaa, also the same thing,” he told the crowd. “Our battle is with these lists! Our battle is to stop guardianship from laying its hand again on Akkar, Tripoli and the North! Our battle is elections that do not surrender our regions’ decision to the guardianship and its allies!” “The lists of the Future Movement have taken this decision in all of Lebanon! These elections are a choice between two projects, two decisions, and two fates: Either a stable, secure Lebanon full of work, life and investment, a sovereign, independent and Arab Lebanon or a Lebanon of the guardianship, oppression and assassination era,” he explained.