Suleiman Says Dialogue Call Not Aimed at Empowering Camp at Expense of Another

President Michel Suleiman on Thursday stressed that “participation in national dialogue is a matter of national will, not something imposed by outside forces,” noting that his recent national dialogue call was not aimed at “empowering a political camp at the expense of another political camp … but rather at seeking possible solutions to the problems before they worsen.”

In a speech at the annual Iftar banquet at the presidential palace in Baabda, Suleiman said that the recent talks and consultations he conducted with the various political parties “have demonstrated the need for further discussions and deliberations regarding (the re-launching of national) dialogue.”

“There are difficulties and challenges looming on the country’s horizon,” the president warned, urging dialogue in the face of “the repercussions of the events in the Arab world and the state of anticipation over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which are spreading anxiousness among citizens.”

“The change the Arab world is undergoing will force intellectuals to reevaluate Lebanon’s democracy and its role in the region,” Suleiman said during the Iftar banquet that was attended by the country’s top political and religious leaders.

“In order to improve our democracy, we must draft a new electoral law that takes into consideration fairness and coexistence,” the president added.