ISSUE OF EXPANDING DIALOGUE REMAINS, ARMENIANS CALL FOR ROTATIONS
Naharnet
Nov 3 2008
Lebanon
Contacts for ending the issue of expanding the list of participants
at the national dialogue have failed to provide a solution prior to
the scheduled meeting next Wednesday.
The daily An-Nahar on Monday did not rule out the possibility that
President Michel Suleiman and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri would
possibly review and amend their ideas ahead of Wednesday’s national
talks in an attempt to bridge the views of the majority and the
minority.
An-Nahar said that Berri is adopting the position of the minority in
expanding the number of participants while holding onto a solution
based on mutual consensus.
The daily stated that MP Saad Hariri moved on Sunday to visit Berri
in an effort to maintaining political calm, while holding to the
position of March 14 in rejecting the minority’s proposal.
An-Nahar said that Hariri paid a similar visit to Suleiman. Both
meetings focused on the upcoming national dialogue, according to
An-Nahar.
The paper said Hariri also held talks with Defense Minister Elias
Murr for the same purpose.
The daily al-Mustaqbal on Monday said the issue of the Armenian
community’s representation at the national dialogue is up for
discussion again, based on the principle of rotation among the
representing parties.
Meanwhile, Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem
affirmed the party’s strong backing to dialogue expansion saying,
"this is a serious demand, we are not maneuvering, this is for the
benefit of making the national dialogue a success."
"The additions made to the dialogue participants would be from both
camps," he added.
Minister of Youth and Sports Talal Arsalan said "the national dialogue
table is not complete, especially under the atmosphere of ongoing
reconciliations."
He pointed that the opposition is waiting for a clear response from
the president concerning this issue.