National dialogue set to begin with debate over who gets to have a say
March 14 says rival camp”s call for more participants is just a ploy
The second session of Lebanon”s national dialogue is scheduled to begin at Baabda Palace at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, but dealing with a proposal by Hizbullah and its March 8 allies to expand the number of participants could delay discussion of the agenda”s top item – a new national defense strategy.
Politicians from the March 14 Forces are against expanding the list of participants, arguing that the issue is meant to divert the dialogue from its initial purpose.
The March 8 camp insists that other parties have the right to have a say when it comes to deciding on a defense strategy.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said on Tuesday that March 14 would "push the discussion of the defense strategy issue" during the session.
"Those who are demanding to increase the number of participants want to waste time and distract us from the dialogue”s main purpose," he said.
Future Movement MP Ahmad Fatfat also rejected adding more participants, arguing that it would be a clear violation of May”s Doha Accord.
The current participants are the same 14 politicians who signed the Doha deal, which called for talks to discuss national defense issues. The issue of Hizbullah”s arsenal is at the core of the national talks.
Also Tuesday, March 14 MP Butros Harb, who will take part in the talks, said that the dialogue should focus on agreeing on a new strategy which would lead to putting all defense issues in the hands of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). He added that the LAF should find ways to make use of Hizbullah”s capabilities and expertise.
Also Tuesday, sources close to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told the Central News Agency that he would distribute a defense study during the session. But the sources added that Berri believed Wednesday”s talks would focus on discussing the possibility of broadening participation.
Like the first dialogue session in mid-September, the talks will be chaired by President Michel Sleiman.
On Tuesday the president received the head of the Defense Committee in the Italian Senate, Gianpiero Carlo Cantoni and an accompanying defense delegation. Sleiman, who recently visited Italy and the Vatican, discussed with the delegation Italy”s expected military aid to the LAF.
"The aid should be in line with what the armed forces need to combat terrorism," Sleiman told the delegation. "The army needs surveillance equipment and advanced weaponry for future missions to defend the country," he explained.
The president also praised Italy”s role and contribution to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
"There is no greater sacrifice than sending your children to Lebanon to preserve peace," he told his visitors.
For his part, Senator Cantoni reiterated his country”s commitment to support the Lebanese government in its quest to have Palestinian refugees return to their homeland.
The Italian delegation also met with Berri on Tuesday. It was not able to have a meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who returned from Turkey later in the day after talks with Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
Turkey and Lebanon signed an accord on Monday to build cooperation against terrorism, drug-trafficking and organized crime. The deal, details of which were not disclosed, was inked after talks between Siniora and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Siniora also thanked Ankara for its recently intensified efforts to resolve long-standing conflicts in the Middle East.
"Turkey has a very important role to play in the Middle East. Turkey is already doing that by encouraging cooperation in the region," Ankara”s official Anatolia news agency quoted him as saying.
Erdogan, for his part, hailed reconciliation efforts between Lebanon and Syria.
"The steps to be taken in Syrian-Lebanese relations are very important," he said. "We welcome their decision to establish diplomatic ties."
Last month, Syria and Lebanon announced establishment of diplomatic ties for the first time since they became independent about 60 years ago.
The two neighbors are now set to open embassies in each other”s capitals before the end of the year.
Since May, Turkey has also mediated indirect peace talks between Israel, its chief regional ally, and Syria.
Ankara has expressed hope that progress in the Syrian-Israeli talks may also help the initiation of peace efforts between Israel and Lebanon.
Turkey also has a military contingent in UNIFIL, which was enhanced and expanded after Israel”s devastating 34-day war against Lebanon in during the summer of 2006.
In another development, March 14 leaders met at Future Movement leader and MP Saad Hariri”s residence in Qoreitem late on Monday.
Hariri will be heading to Moscow on an official visit by the end of this week.
A statement issued after the meeting said that participants in the meeting reviewed "political developments and discussed unifying the March 14 position on the eve of the national dialogue."
The statement also stressed the unity of the March 14 Forces in next year”s parliamentary elections.