Controversy Brewing over Draft Policy Statement
A hullabaloo over a draft policy statement is brewing between Hizbullah and March 14 Christians after Opposition Cabinet ministers said they will oppose it if a clause stating that war and peace decisions are to be made on the state level exclusively.
Ministerial sources told the daily Al-Liwaa in remarks published Tuesday that clauses 5 and 6 were still the subject of dispute between the Opposition and Christian leaders within the March 14 alliance.
While the Opposition insists that the same approach used in the previous policy statement should apply in this case, March 14 Christians voiced no objection to that on condition that the phrase "the government makes decisions about war and peace" is added to clause 5, the sources said.
They said the Opposition represented by Hizbullah State Minister Mohammad Fneish refused to add this paragraph.
Also unresolved was Clause 6 which is related to Lebanon”s obligations toward international resolutions where the Opposition wants the term "respect" U.N. resolutions rather than "commitment."