Syria Sets Conditions, Wants “Price” to Facilitate Deal on Lebanon Government
Syria, not only has set conditions, but reportedly wants a price beforehand to facilitate formation of a new Lebanese government.
Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Friday, which carried the report, said Syria has proposed that the various Lebanese parliamentary blocs visit Damascus to strike a deal on the formation of a national unity government.
It said Syria is seeking to reach an agreement in Damascus similar to that of Doha in May 2008 which ended a long-running political crisis that nearly drove the country to a new civil war.
The daily An Nahar, meanwhile, said the Syrian conditions are "impossible to implement."
Among these conditions, An Nahar said, was a visit to Damascus by Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri as part of a tripartite summit between Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia prior to government formation.
It said the basket of conditions appeared to be closer to pushing the March 14 coalition into relinquishing the victory after achieving a majority in Parliament.
While the opposition declined to comment on media leakage about Saudi-Syrian contacts, sources concerned with the issue told al-Hayat that Damascus was in a rush toward normalization of ties.