BEIRUT: Lebanon commemorated Thursday the eight memorial of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri who was assassinated in a car blast that rocked Beirut in February 2005.

Politicians, religious leaders and officials took part in the ceremony held at Biel in Downtown Beirut to pay tribute to the five-time prime minister killed eight years ago.

Addressing participants in the ceremony, March 14 Secretariat General Coordinator Fares Soueid warned Lebanon is in danger because of attempts to link the country to the Syrian crisis.

“Lebanon is in danger because those in rule have not learned from the past as they are still linking the fate of the country to that of the Baath regime,” said Soueid.

He added that Lebanon also faces the risk of being used as the last front of a regional axis that has lost its power in the region, referring to the Syrian-Iranian axis.

According to Soueid, some sides are banking on the collapse of the March 14 coalition.

The official, however, said that this won't happen and said Lebanon’s salvation can only be achieved by going back the principles of the Cedar Revolution which broke out following Hariri’s assassination in 2005 and led to the exile of the Syrian army from Lebanon.

“The only way out of these dangers is to go back to the Cedar Revolution when the people broke down sectarian boundaries and overcame their fears,” said soaid.

More to follow...