Ruling Bloc Refuses Dialogue, Berri Hopes Still High
Source: Al-Manar TV, 29-4-2008
After long debate and discussions on the feasibility of national dialogue among feuding parties, the ruling bloc went over the divergence of views within its ranks and took its decision on Monday. They commissioned the head of Future movement MP Saad Hariri to negotiate, on behalf of the loyalty, with Speaker Naibh Berri over the best way to ensure the election of a president on May 13, implicitly refusing his call for national dialogue that would open the way for resolving the ongoing crisis. They reiterated that the presidential election should be top priority. The ruling bloc seems to be losing another golden opportunity to break the deadlock.
However, Berri decided not to announce failure of his efforts but to keep hopes high. "We will not consider this stance as a rejection of dialogue," he said Tuesday in a statement, adding that it was time "that we all know that the guarantees the majority is seeking are the same the opposition is calling for; that is the level of representation in the government and the electoral constituencies."
Berri stressed, once again, that "dialogue is the only guarantee to all feuding parties" starting by the election of the consensus candidate Army Commander General Michel Suleiman even before May 13 "if we reach a declaration of intentions ahead of that date."
The Speaker concluded his statement by saying that he was still waiting for the ruling bloc's response on dialogue to take the initiative and set the dialogue schedule. "Upon agreement, we shift from dialogue to electing a president," he said.
RULING BLOC REFUSES BERRI'S DIALOGUE ROUNDTABLE CALL
The ruling bloc's announcement came in a concise statement issued after an evening meeting held in Qoraitem (MP Hariri's headquarters) and attended by its key figures. It stressed the "importance of electing a president, which is a priority, in accordance with the Lebanese constitution and the Arab initiative," noting that the election of a president shouldn't be linked to any condition or any prior agreement."
The Arab initiative calls for electing Gen. Suleiman as president, forming a national unity government and endorsing a new electoral law, all as a whole integral package. But the ruling bloc want to elect a president first and then discuss a government formation and an electoral law.
AL-FAISAL: INTERNATIONALIZING LEBANESE CRISIS NOT DANGEROUS
Hours before the ruling bloc's decision, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal indirectly accused Berri of closing Parliament to elect a new President.
In a joint press conference with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Stoere, al-Faisal played down warnings against internationalizing the Lebanese crisis, saying there was no danger from internationalization "since international efforts of Lebanon's friends agree with Arab efforts."
AOUN: DIALOGUE USELESS IF LINKED TO UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION
Meanwhile, the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP General Michel Aoun told his visitors that if dialogue was linked to the unconditional election of a president on May 13, it would be useless and would be everything except dialogue.
He accused the ruling bloc of constantly changing its stances. "We need that they settle things up so that we know what to do. For instance, we, in the opposition, stick to our word whatever the price was," he said.
Aoun warned that outside forces, especially those having strong influence on the ruling bloc, were attempting to divide and break the opposition after they failed in persuading the Free Patriotic Movement into changing its alliances. "This bloc, supported by an Arab state, is spending millions of dollars in Christian regions just for blockading the FPM and weakening it," Aoun said.
After long debate and discussions on the feasibility of national dialogue among feuding parties, the ruling bloc went over the divergence of views within its ranks and took its decision on Monday. They commissioned the head of Future movement MP Saad Hariri to negotiate, on behalf of the loyalty, with Speaker Naibh Berri over the best way to ensure the election of a president on May 13, implicitly refusing his call for national dialogue that would open the way for resolving the ongoing crisis. They reiterated that the presidential election should be top priority. The ruling bloc seems to be losing another golden opportunity to break the deadlock.
However, Berri decided not to announce failure of his efforts but to keep hopes high. "We will not consider this stance as a rejection of dialogue," he said Tuesday in a statement, adding that it was time "that we all know that the guarantees the majority is seeking are the same the opposition is calling for; that is the level of representation in the government and the electoral constituencies."
Berri stressed, once again, that "dialogue is the only guarantee to all feuding parties" starting by the election of the consensus candidate Army Commander General Michel Suleiman even before May 13 "if we reach a declaration of intentions ahead of that date."
The Speaker concluded his statement by saying that he was still waiting for the ruling bloc's response on dialogue to take the initiative and set the dialogue schedule. "Upon agreement, we shift from dialogue to electing a president," he said.
RULING BLOC REFUSES BERRI'S DIALOGUE ROUNDTABLE CALL
The ruling bloc's announcement came in a concise statement issued after an evening meeting held in Qoraitem (MP Hariri's headquarters) and attended by its key figures. It stressed the "importance of electing a president, which is a priority, in accordance with the Lebanese constitution and the Arab initiative," noting that the election of a president shouldn't be linked to any condition or any prior agreement."
The Arab initiative calls for electing Gen. Suleiman as president, forming a national unity government and endorsing a new electoral law, all as a whole integral package. But the ruling bloc want to elect a president first and then discuss a government formation and an electoral law.
AL-FAISAL: INTERNATIONALIZING LEBANESE CRISIS NOT DANGEROUS
Hours before the ruling bloc's decision, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal indirectly accused Berri of closing Parliament to elect a new President.
In a joint press conference with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Stoere, al-Faisal played down warnings against internationalizing the Lebanese crisis, saying there was no danger from internationalization "since international efforts of Lebanon's friends agree with Arab efforts."
AOUN: DIALOGUE USELESS IF LINKED TO UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION
Meanwhile, the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP General Michel Aoun told his visitors that if dialogue was linked to the unconditional election of a president on May 13, it would be useless and would be everything except dialogue.
He accused the ruling bloc of constantly changing its stances. "We need that they settle things up so that we know what to do. For instance, we, in the opposition, stick to our word whatever the price was," he said.
Aoun warned that outside forces, especially those having strong influence on the ruling bloc, were attempting to divide and break the opposition after they failed in persuading the Free Patriotic Movement into changing its alliances. "This bloc, supported by an Arab state, is spending millions of dollars in Christian regions just for blockading the FPM and weakening it," Aoun said.
