National Dialogue Agrees: More Time for Defense Strategy Committee
A fifth round of national dialogue agreed Monday to allow more time for military experts to reach a common understanding on a defense strategy and pledged to refrain from provocations in the buildup for the elections.
The participants also agreed to meet for a sixth round on April 28.
Monday”s session, which lasted for more than two hours, was headed by President Michel Suleiman and attended by top Lebanese officials, including Speaker Nabih Berri, MP Walid Jumblat, MP Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.
Notable absentees were Prime Minister Fouad Saniora who is attending a donors conference in Sharm el-Sheikh on rebuilding Gaza and MP Ghassan Tueni who is currently abroad.
Suleiman started the meeting with a reminder that a final agreement on a defense strategy "takes time and is dependant on a group of factors," including domestic and foreign political considerations.
In a final communiqué, the participants agreed that a committee of military experts will "continue to search for a common understanding to draw up a unified blueprint for a national defense strategy." The findings will be presented to the national dialogue roundtable.
They also vowed to "cooperate with the authorities in their efforts to achieve the highest degrees possible of security and political stability" in the buildup for the June 7 parliamentary elections, the statement said.
To that end, the top politicians agreed "not to provide cover for any individual who might breach the law."
They pledged to "absolutely refrain from using any means (that can promote) violence including media outlets, speeches and statements." They also said that electoral campaigning would stick to the "rules of decorum and proper communication."
The communiqué also called for the government "to speed up steps the formation of the constitutional council, which is the "credible reference" to rule on any vote fraud.
For his part, Suleiman placed the responsibility of maintaining stability on the shoulders of the political leadership.
On Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which kicked off on Sunday, Suleiman voiced hope that the tribunal would be "the beginning of an end to a painful file, through justice and way from political meddling."