LF, FPM Students Agree to Abide by 'Approach of Dialogue'

The student departments of the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement held an unprecedented meeting on Sunday during which they agreed to abide by “the approach of dialogue.”

The meeting at the Beithania center in Harissa witnessed a surprise visit by LF leader Samir Geagea.

Geagea said that “the first step to gather the political forces in Lebanon is the rapprochement that is taking place between the FPM and the LF.”

“Gathering the political forces is the only way to change the situation in Lebanon, seeing as one of our big problems is the fragmentation of the political forces in the country,” added Geagea.

The talks started with a prayer at the Our Lady of Lebanon Church after which the so-called declaration of intent paper that the two parties signed in early June was recited.

The student departments then held a broad meeting in which they agreed to “abide by the approach of dialogue and constructive political debate” and to “constantly seek to agree on common principles and denominators.”

“We meet here at the instructions of Geagea and (FPM chief MP Michel) Aoun to complete their historic meeting and start implementing the recommendations of the declaration of intent,” Gerard Zouein of the LF student bureau said.

For his part, Anthon Soaid of the FPM student department said the talks were aimed at “defusing the tensions that were created by electoral junctures at universities and political disputes.”

Several universities had witnessed violent clashes between students from the two parties in recent years. The skirmishes prompted a suspension of elections at some universities.

The LF and the FPM signed the landmark document on June 2 after a rare meeting between Aoun and Geagea in Rabiyeh.

The declaration of intent stresses the importance of the approach of dialogue and calls for the election of a strong president. It also warns against any manipulation of the Constitution and any resort to arms to address political disputes.

Y.R.