Hizbullah MP pays a visit to Maronite patriarch

Source: Daily Star, 9-12-2006
BKIRKI, Lebanon: Hizbullah MP Mohammad Raad said on Friday that the solution to the sit-in and demonstrations in central Beirut was a proposal that corresponds with the democratic system upon which Lebanon`s political structure is based. Speaking after a rare meeting with Lebanon`s influential Maronite patriarch, the head of the resistance group`s bloc in Parliament said any solution "should be based on the principle of true partnership provided by the blocking minority, which each government normally includes."
The Council of Maronite Bishops, headed by Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, issued a conciliatory statement Wednesday in which it provided a "declaration of principles" for the divided Lebanese groups to follow to end the political crisis.
In his speech Thursday, Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah hailed the bishops` initiative as "positive elements that are worth considering."
Raad said the delegation`s meeting with Sfeir at his residence in Bkirki "very beneficial and important."
The Loyalty to the Resistance bloc delegation included MP Hassan Fadlallah and Hizbullah politburo member Ghaleb Abu Zeinab.
Addressing reporters, Raad said Hizbullah had never said "the solution lies in the streets ... Streets merely exert pressure on the ruling class so it stops monopolizing power."
"The Lebanese opposition was seeking the salvation of the Lebanese people by calling for the creation of a national unity government, which guarantees true participation of all of the country`s parties," he added.
The bishops` declaration included the implementation of "a code of honor" that would apply to all parties, the creation of an international tribunal to try former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri`s killers, a new electoral law, and the formation of a "reconciliation" government that would hold early presidential elections.