“Understandings” still in reach despite looming elections
Future Movement leader Saad Hariri said on Sunday that the competition between his March 14 coalition and the March 8 grouping in next year”s parliamentary elections would not eliminate the possibility of "political understandings" between the two camps.
"The ongoing reconciliations do not mean that either of us is willing to abandon our allies in the elections, but the differences between the two alliances should not prevent political understandings," he told reporters after meeting Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at the latter”s residence in Beirut.
"At any rate, political differences should not develop into street clashes," he added.
Hariri said that his recent meeting with Hizbullah”s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, had paved the way for achieving stability and decreasing tensions.
"Political dialogue is always necessary to protect the country”s unity, security, stability, and economic growth," he said.
The Future leader added that he discussed with Berri measures to be taken in order to progress with national dialogue and further defuse tensions.
Hariri also stressed that he was against including more participants in the national dialogue”s second session, scheduled for Wednesday at the Presidential Palace.
"I do not see the reason behind adding more participants … We are left with only one item to be discussed and both the parliamentary majority and opposition are already represented," he said. "The current participants are the same politicians who signed the Doha Accord last May … We need to commit to the agreement in that sense … We cannot be selective when it comes to implementing what we agreed on in Doha."
The Doha calls for national talks with the aim of reaching an agreement on a national defense strategy. Hizbullah”s arsenal was at the core of discussions at the first session, held under President Michel Sleiman”s auspices in mid-September.
Hariri also met Prime Minister Fouad Siniora later Sunday.
For his part, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir told reporters upon his return from the Vatican on Sunday that the issue of broadening the dialogue was to be decided by Sleiman and the participants.
"I never said that I support adding more participants … This issue is to be decided by the president and the concerned parties … I am in favor of any move that serves national interests," he said.
Sfeir was greeted at Rafik Hariri International Airport by Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud, who also confirmed to reporters that he had received an invitation to visit Damascus. He said he would visit the Syrian capital in the "coming few weeks" to discuss bilateral issues.
Hizbullah”s second in command, Sheikh Naim Qassem, said Sunday that the opposition was serious in its demand to add more participants.
"We are not maneuvering when we say that we want to add more participants to the dialogue," he said.
Hizbullah”s Druze ally, Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arslan, also said Sunday that more parties should be present at the talks.
Arslan, who wants to attend the dialogue, added that the decision was Sleiman”s.
Sleiman ended a visit to Rome and the Vatican on Saturday and is due to head a Cabinet session on Monday before chairing the dialogue”s second session on Wednesday.
The president met Siniora after his return to discuss the latest local developments as well as the results of his visits to Italy and the Vatican. Siniora also briefed the president on the outcome of his recent talks in Kuwait and Egypt.
Siniora told reporters on his way out of Baabda Palace that adding more participants to the dialogue would be discussed among the participants.
"We will hopefully reach an agreement in this regard, but the results of the discussions would not necessarily be directly revealed," he said.
In a separate development on Sunday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak hosted former Prime Minister Salim Hoss in Cairo to discuss bilateral relations and the situation in the wider Middle East.
A statement issued by Hoss” office in Beirut said that the former premier had thanked Mubarak for "supporting Lebanon and its people during difficult periods."
Hoss also said he hoped Egypt would succeed in its efforts to "purify relations among Arab states."
Mubarak has also met recently with Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, and former Prime Minister Omar Karami.
Siniora was scheduled to be Mubarak”s guest last week, but the Egyptian president apologized for not being able to meet the Lebanese premier as he was not feeling well upon his return from a trip to Paris.