MEKHITARIAN SAYS KATAEB-TASHNAQ UNDERSTANDING UNLIKELY

NowLebanon
March 23 2009

In an interview with As-Safir daily on Monday, Tashnaq Party leader
Hovig Mekhitarian said his last meeting with Kataeb Central Committee
Coordinator Sami Gemayel reached no results concerning the upcoming
parliamentary elections, adding that it was unlikely to reach an
understanding with the Kataeb party amid the current political and
electoral circumstances.

Mekhitarian said Kataeb’s proposal to Tashnaq did not yield any serious
results and "with all due respect to Sami Gemayel, an understanding
with the Kataeb party needs discussions with higher-level [party
members]… Our doors are open to welcome him if he wants to visit us,"
Mekhitarian said, a reference to Kataeb leader and former President
Amin Gemayel.

Mekhitarian also said his party was waiting for Future Movement
leader MP Saad Hariri to return to Lebanon to inform him of Tashnaq’s
decision, noting that the party would explain its response to Hariri’s
offer, whether positive or negative, to the people.

The Tashnaq leader said his party considered the political and
electoral positions equally important in any discussion with
others. "We are a party known for refusing electoral deals and its
commitment to its loyalties and principles," he said.

Mekhitarian reiterated that Tashnaq would ally with Free Patriotic
Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and with MP Michel al-Murr alone,
as long as there was no Armenian candidate on the March 14 list or
any centrist candidate cooperating with March 14.

Mekhitarian said his party wanted an uncontested election for its
candidate, but if Murr took part in an opposing approach, it would mean
"electoral annulment" with him.