DAILY SCOPE: HIZBULLAH-FUTURE DIALOGUE BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS

Local Editor

ASSAFIR: 

Hariri Mourns Aoun on Presidential Level... Does Not Overdo Cabinet
"Hizbullah" and "Future" Dialogue before "Holidays"...

AN-NAHAR: 

Hariri Launches Dialogue "to Contain Tension"
Roads Cut off Today in Wake of Threats

AL-AKHBAR: 

Most Important Reason for Dialogue: Containing Sunni-Shia Tension
Hariri: For a Serious Dialogue, Without Mines

Lebanese dailies on Friday discussed the televised interview through which head of the Future party and ex-PM Saad Hariri about starting an open dialogue with Hizbullah, with the primary aim of easing and containing Sunni-Shia tensions and constructive means to dealing with the presidential void.

As-Safir newspaper started with the usual counting of days Lebanon has survived without a president. "For the 188 consecutive days, Lebanon still has no president."

Through a televised interview on Thursday, as-Safir said it was clear that Saad Hariri needed direct addressing of his audience in the North and Arsal, especially after the latest security events and its repercussions. The paper highlighted that very important was ‘his decision to enter open dialogue with Hizbullah, with the key goal of easing and containing Sunni-Shia tension as well as filling the presidential void affecting the country for more than 6 months.

The interview comes with the countdown to meet the political advisor to Hizbullah Secretary General, Haj Hassan Khalil, and the political advisor to Future party head, Nadir Hariri, who are scheduled to meet before the holidays.

Yet, Hariri, according to the paper, implied that dialogue for the moment will remain on this level, noting that ‘it is still soon to talk about a meeting with Hizbullah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.'

Sources close to Hariri told as-Safir that a meeting with the highest ranking Hizbullah official can take place only if Hizbullah is willing to free itself from MP Michel Aoun as candidate for presidency, and open door to choose a new president for the republic. Same sources implied that such is a distant hypothesis, especially that Hizbullah had declared that no regional or international power can make it back off from its decision to nominate Aoun as candidate for presidency.

This message, according to the source, was delivered to France through Iran, with emphasis that it is a Christian-Christian consensus, plainly naming Head of the Change and Reform Bloc MP Michel Aoun versus Head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea.

Hariri said he has not received any ‘Veto' on the presidential elections candidates, assuring that any candidate who gains consensus from all sides will not be vetoed by anyone. On another note, Hariri kept opening fire against Hizbullah for its involvement in Syria, wrote As-Safir, calling it ‘a crazy act', yet said that dialogue with Hizbullah and Aoun to form Salam's government proved to be fruitful.

Meanwhile, Speaker Nabih Berri was quoted as saying an upcoming dialogue between Hizbullah and the Future Movement will not tackle Hizbullah's arms or the Syrian crisis.

"The resistance weapons and Syria are not on the dialogue agenda," Berri told visitors late Thursday.
"If there are many issues of disagreement and a few issues of agreement between the two parties, doesn't this mean that dialogue should be based on the issues of agreement?"

Speaker Berri revealed that the dialogue between Hizbullah and the Future Movement is expected to take place before the end of the year, noting that he is waiting to receive a draft agenda from both parties, his visitors quoted him as saying.
The speaker said the Future Movement has adopted a "more positive stance" recently, expressing a desire to have the dialogue held at his residence in Ain al-Tineh or in Parliament.

Meanwhile, as-Safir newspaper pointed out that with the failure of the government to achieve progress on the kidnapped soldiers' file, their families started what they had promised earlier. Families of the 26 servicemen held hostage by terrorist Daesh and al-Nusra on the Syria border blocked Friday a vital road in the capital to pressure the government to find a speedy solution to their loved ones.

The protesters formed a human chain to block the Saifi road. This comes with the terrorist groups referring again to threats and blackmail, as al-Nusra demanded the Lebanese government to release the detainee Jumana Hemayed, giving the government only 24 hours before it executes one of the hostages.

For its part, an-Nahar newspaper said Hariri brought an end to the non-ending discussions on a Hizbullah-Future dialogue, as he declared on Thursday a serious dialogue will take place to save the country despite the differences between them.
The paper noted that Hariri's interview coincided with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman's visit to his French counterpart at the Elysée.

As for the abducted soldiers, the paper quoted the announcement made by al-Nusra on its twitter account, as it declared "The Lebanese government should prove its seriousness on the negotiations and release the detained Jumana Hemayed as sign of good intentions and then start executing the suggestion it has chosen in the swap operation."

Source: al-Ahed news