Source: Al-Manar TV, 16-9-2008
"We meet today to launch a long-awaited dialogue, the success of which is an obligation."
With these words, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman inaugurated on Tuesday the national dialogue conference at the Baabda Presidential Palace. Fourteen Lebanese rival leaders met there upon Suleiman's invitation, in addition to Arab league Chief Amr Mussa. "This is an important step toward reaching a stable and permanent solution," he told reporters Monday at the Beirut International Airport.
The conference, which was anticipated by a surprise reconciliation meeting between representatives from Hizbullah and MP Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party, was an opportunity for other such meetings to take place. The most important was the one that joined Suleiman to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, head of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Mohamad Raad, head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt, and head of the Future Movement MP Saad Hariri, before the session was officially opened.
In addition to Suleiman, Berri, Raad, Hariri and Jumblatt, the list of participants in the conference includes Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, Former President Amin Gemayel, the head of the Reform and Change parliamentary bloc MP Michel Aoun, MPs Mohamad Safadi, Elie Skaff, Michel Murr, Boutros Harb, Ghassan Tueini, Hagop Pakradounian as well as Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea.
In his opening speech, Suleiman stressed concessions must be made, even though they might be painful. "We must make sacrifices not for this dialogue, but for the nation," he said. "This meeting shoulders us with our national responsibility to reject anything other than the achievement of agreement," he added.
The President said the small state of Lebanon had no other option but to be united to face challenges targeting the region. He highlighted that frankness and reconciliation lead to the building of a strong state.
Suleiman said the meeting opens a window to calm dialogue, discussions and respect of opinions. "All issues can be discussed, failure is the only unacceptable thing," he emphasized.
On the defense strategy which comes at the top of the dialogue's agenda, Suleiman called for setting a national defense strategy that protects Lebanon based on its military power and benefits from the experience and capabilities of the Resistance. "Let us set a national defense strategy that protects our points of strength," he explained, recalling that "Israel" persists with its occupation of Lebanese territories.
Earlier, MP Mohammd Raad, who's representing Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah in the conference, told Al-Manar that the party will take part in the dialogue with an intention to strengthen national unity and protect the country . He expressed hope the dialogue would open a new page between all Lebanese people. Raad stressed that the main issue is how to protect Lebanon. "The question that is raised is how we can protect Lebanon through the state institutions or the institutions cooperating with the Resistance in light of a national strategy," he stressed.
The participants will also discuss increasing the number of leaders in the dialogue. In this context, the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar noted that the opposition will propose the participation of former PM Omar Karami, Minister of Youth and Sports Talal Arslan and former minister Suleiman Franjieh. It will also propose MP Oussama Saad as the representative of a bloc composed of the Syrian Socialist Nationalist Party and the Baath party.
The Lebanese daily noted that President Suleiman does not oppose this proposal, but prefers an agreement between all participants to be reached ahead of carrying it out.