Salam Urges Politicians to be Wise, Rejects Parliamentary Boycott

Prime Minister Tammam Salam has expressed concern over the rising dispute between the country's different factions, which could paralyze the government.

In remarks to As Safir daily published on Monday, Salam urged all parties to be “wise and confront the difficult situation that the country is living.”

Disputes “could lead to more unwanted clashes,” he said.

The prime minister hoped that the dialogue between different parties would help limit the tension.

Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal Movement have been holding talks under Speaker Nabih Berri's sponsorship since December to limit the strain between the country's Sunni and Shiite sects.

But their officials have been recently exchanging accusations mainly linked to the Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes against Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen.

“The growing sectarian rhetoric between Sunnis and Shiites is worrying,” Salam told As Safir.

Officials from the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces have also been holding talks to set the stage for a meeting between the two parties' leaders MP Michel Aoun and Samir Geagea.

On the Christian blocs' stance from a parliamentary session that Speaker Nabih Berri intends to call for, Salam described their boycott threat as “dangerous,” saying a solution should be found to it.

Berri is setting the stage for a session under the excuse of “necessary legislation.”

But the Christian MPs have threatened to boycott the session, some claiming that parliament should only meet to elect a president, while others wanting to add more draft-laws to the agenda.

Baabda Palace has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman's term ended in May 2014.

The vacuum at the presidential palace has had crippling effects on the parliament and the cabinet.

G.K.

H.K.