No Syria deal at Lebanon”s expense
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Hale said on Friday that no deals would be forged with Syria at the expense of Lebanon. "There is no deal with Damascus at Lebanon”s expense and no compromise on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon," Hale said following a meeting with President Michel Sleiman at the Baabda Palace.
Hale also stressed the United States” "continuous support to Lebanon”s sovereignty and independence."
"The US remains committed to supporting the Lebanese efforts to strengthen their constitutional, civil, defense and security institutions," he added.
Hale noted that his visit was to follow-up on the preparations for the parliamentary elections.
"I reiterate the US strong support to the Lebanese government”s efforts to hold fair and free parliamentary elections away from violence and intimidation," he said.
Hale, who arrived in Beirut on Friday, also met with Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.
His visit comes a day after Jeffrey Feltman, the State Department”s top Middle East envoy, held talks with Syrian officials in Damascus.
An-Nahar newspaper said Hale was expected to inform Lebanese officials about the results of Feltman”s meetings.
Geagea said following his meeting with Hale that the March 14 Forces” lists across the country would be completed before the end of next week.
He added that negotiations were ongoing between candidates in Kesrouan to reach the final formula.
Meanwhile, Sleiman said he was tranquil about the future of Lebanon and its role in the region and the world.
In remarks following a meeting with Iranian Vice President Hassan Dahqan on Friday, Sleiman said Lebanon”s relations with foreign countries were now based on state-to-state relations.
He added that the upcoming parliamentary elections "will contribute to the achievement of democratic representation and will lead to more stability."
Sleiman also met on Friday with Major General Jamil Sayyed, who did not comment following the meeting.
Hizbullah MP Mohammad Raad said the opposition was seeking to win the parliamentary majority "in order to change the policies from which we suffered over the past four years."
In remarks on Friday, Raad said: "We want to build a state for all the Lebanese, not a farm called a state."
We want a state that represents all the Lebanese people, with their different confessions and sects," he added.
Hizbullah nominated Bilal Farhat as the party”s candidate for the Shiite seat in Baabda.
The nomination came as a response to Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Michel Aoun, who announced on Thursday the formation of the FPM”s electoral list in Jezzine, separate from Speaker Nabih Berri.
Media reports had said that Hizbullah offered Aoun the Shiite seat in Baabda to settle a disagreement between him and Berri in Jezzine.
Aoun said attempts to reach consensus with Berri over that district have failed.
Amal announced on Thursday night its electoral platform in the district of Jezzine.
In a speech, Amal MP Samir Azar said the movement would "hold partnerships with political parties with whom we compete today," in reference to the FPM”s electoral list in Jezzine.
Meanwhile, Al-Liwaa newspaper said Friday a Cabinet session that was expected to be held this week was postponed after ministers from the opposition threatened to use veto power on a Memorandum of Understanding with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Sources quoted by the newspaper said the memorandum with the tribunal”s prosecutor office was a source of disagreement among pro-government and opposition ministers, who threatened to put it for voting and use veto power if the majority insisted on having the memorandum on the Cabinet agenda.
Al-Liwaa said the opposition rejected the memorandum though its ministers did not make any comments or propose amendments.
The memorandum, proposed by the Justice Ministry, seeks to regulate relations between the Lebanese judiciary and the tribunal”s general prosecutor.
Separately, former Premier Najib Mikati called for fully implementing the Taif Accord "for the sake of Lebanon and its citizens."
Mikati”s remarks came during a gathering held by the Tripoli Solidarity bloc in the area of Haret Al-Branieh in Tripoli.
Mikati pledged to work for promote cooperation and partnership between the different Lebanese confessions.