HUGE GAP THREATENS NATIONAL DIALOGUE

Naharnet
Sept 15 2008
Lebanon

An Nahar daily on Monday quoted sources as saying that huge differences
among the majority and the opposition threaten to undermine efforts to
reach an understanding at the national dialogue that will be launched
at Baabda Palace on Tuesday.

The sources doubted the 14 leaders who will attend the talks will
be able to quickly agree on the country’s defense strategy given
"the wide gap between the majority’s and the opposition’s stances
from the issue."

Also, Suleiman’s visit to Washington and the United Nations
headquarters in New York later this month will be a setback as there
will be no weekly scheduled talks.

By Sunday night, all invitations were sent by the presidential
palace to the conferees to attend the first session at 11:00 am
Tuesday after Armenians finally agreed on MP Hagop Pakradounian as
their representative.

Other than having a rectangular and not roundtable setting for the
participants of the 14 political groups, two major points distinguish
Tuesday’s dialogue from previous talks – First, the conference will
be sponsored by President Michel Suleiman and second, the dialogue
will deal directly with the controversial issue of Hizbullah’s arms.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress