Lebanese Dialogue Suspended Due to Tueini Illness
Source: A-Manar TV, 05-11-2008
Once again, the fourteen "dialogue poles" met!
Indeed, Lebanon's rival political leaders gathered on Wednesday for a second round of talks to resolve lingering disputes amid beliefs that a deal is a long way off given deep-seated differences, even over the dialogue structure beginning with the expansion principle.
But few hours after its start, the session was suspended due to the illness of MP Ghassan Tueini who was transferred to hospital, accompanied by MPs Michel Murr and Boutros Harb. Third national dialogue session was scheduled for December 22.
The dialogue's second session convened at 10.20 am Beirut Time at the Baabda Presidential Palace under the auspices of Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, and in the presence of the same fourteen figures: Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, former President Amin Gemayel, the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Mohamad Raad (representing Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah), the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP General Michel Aoun, the head of the Future movement MP Saad Hariri, the head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt, minister Mohamad Safadi, MPs Boutros Harb, Ghassan Tueini, Agob Pakradounian, Elie Skaf, Michel Murr and the Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea. But, unlike the previous dialogue session, Arab League Secretary General is not present.
GEAGEA: MARCH 8 CANDIDATE WON IN THE US!
The US presidential elections, paving the way for Democrat Barack Obama to capture the White House, were also present in the session's coulisses. Answering a question over the issue, Saniora told reporters that results were "good."
But the most remarkable statement was Geagea's "smart" declaration, as usual, over the issue. Indeed, Geagea told reporters that the "March 8 candidate has won in the United States!"
Meanwhile, the issue of increasing the number of participants is the first article to be discussed rather than the national defense strategy, amid huge difference between the interlocutors over its "seriousness." But when asked about Hizbullah insistence on expanding the dialogue table and adding other factions to it, MP Raad just told reporters that "we insist on the defensive strategy."
Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Jaber al-Thani called speaker Berri and hoped there would be no obstruction in the dialogue session today concerning the issue of enlargement, adding that he feared the point would not be overcome. Berri assured him there would be no obstruction, as his sources reported.
"We will enter the session with a good spirit and discuss the ideas and proposals on the defense strategy in ways that reinforce and protect the country," Berri told Lebanese daily An-Nahar.
But the date of the third round doesn't seem to be close. Lebanese daily As-Safir said Wednesday that the date of the third round would be defined by the agenda of the foreign visits of Suleiman, who is expected to visit Cairo on Saturday, then Tehran and then New York to participate in the Dialogue of Religions Summit. MP Hariri is also to visit Moscow this week.
MARONITE BISHOPS WISH SUCCESS FOR DIALOGUE
Meanwhile, Maronite Bishops held Wednesday their monthly meeting in Bkirki and issued a press release in which they said that they attentively follow the issue of reconciliation and they hope more efforts are made toward this goal. They hope dialogue succeeds since the general situation requires some kind of relief so that Lebanon can calmly and successfully retrieve its path and reinforce confidence among its citizens and friends.
Monsignor Youssef Tawk read the press release after the meeting and said that the bishops were relieved to hear President Michel Suleiman's speeches in the United Nations and at the Francophone Summit in Canada which intended to adopt Lebanon as a center of dialogue between religions, cultures and ethnicities.
Once again, the fourteen "dialogue poles" met!
Indeed, Lebanon's rival political leaders gathered on Wednesday for a second round of talks to resolve lingering disputes amid beliefs that a deal is a long way off given deep-seated differences, even over the dialogue structure beginning with the expansion principle.
But few hours after its start, the session was suspended due to the illness of MP Ghassan Tueini who was transferred to hospital, accompanied by MPs Michel Murr and Boutros Harb. Third national dialogue session was scheduled for December 22.
The dialogue's second session convened at 10.20 am Beirut Time at the Baabda Presidential Palace under the auspices of Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, and in the presence of the same fourteen figures: Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, former President Amin Gemayel, the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Mohamad Raad (representing Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah), the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP General Michel Aoun, the head of the Future movement MP Saad Hariri, the head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt, minister Mohamad Safadi, MPs Boutros Harb, Ghassan Tueini, Agob Pakradounian, Elie Skaf, Michel Murr and the Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea. But, unlike the previous dialogue session, Arab League Secretary General is not present.
GEAGEA: MARCH 8 CANDIDATE WON IN THE US!
The US presidential elections, paving the way for Democrat Barack Obama to capture the White House, were also present in the session's coulisses. Answering a question over the issue, Saniora told reporters that results were "good."
But the most remarkable statement was Geagea's "smart" declaration, as usual, over the issue. Indeed, Geagea told reporters that the "March 8 candidate has won in the United States!"
Meanwhile, the issue of increasing the number of participants is the first article to be discussed rather than the national defense strategy, amid huge difference between the interlocutors over its "seriousness." But when asked about Hizbullah insistence on expanding the dialogue table and adding other factions to it, MP Raad just told reporters that "we insist on the defensive strategy."
Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Jaber al-Thani called speaker Berri and hoped there would be no obstruction in the dialogue session today concerning the issue of enlargement, adding that he feared the point would not be overcome. Berri assured him there would be no obstruction, as his sources reported.
"We will enter the session with a good spirit and discuss the ideas and proposals on the defense strategy in ways that reinforce and protect the country," Berri told Lebanese daily An-Nahar.
But the date of the third round doesn't seem to be close. Lebanese daily As-Safir said Wednesday that the date of the third round would be defined by the agenda of the foreign visits of Suleiman, who is expected to visit Cairo on Saturday, then Tehran and then New York to participate in the Dialogue of Religions Summit. MP Hariri is also to visit Moscow this week.
MARONITE BISHOPS WISH SUCCESS FOR DIALOGUE
Meanwhile, Maronite Bishops held Wednesday their monthly meeting in Bkirki and issued a press release in which they said that they attentively follow the issue of reconciliation and they hope more efforts are made toward this goal. They hope dialogue succeeds since the general situation requires some kind of relief so that Lebanon can calmly and successfully retrieve its path and reinforce confidence among its citizens and friends.
Monsignor Youssef Tawk read the press release after the meeting and said that the bishops were relieved to hear President Michel Suleiman's speeches in the United Nations and at the Francophone Summit in Canada which intended to adopt Lebanon as a center of dialogue between religions, cultures and ethnicities.
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