National Dialogue Demands Lifting of Political Cover Off Arms in Lebanon

The national dialogue was resumed on Monday with the gatherers voicing their rejection of the use of arms on the internal scene in Lebanon.

They said in a statement: “Political cover must be lifted off the use of weapons in Lebanon.”

They stressed the need to commit to the Baabda declaration that was issued during the June 11 national dialogue, especially regarding its call for political and media calm in Lebanon, supporting the army, and keeping Lebanon away from regional and international disputes.

The gatherers agreed to resume talks over a national defense strategy during the next session, which will be held on July 24.

President Michel Suleiman had revealed at the start of Monday’s session at the Baabda Palace that he will propose during the July session his vision of a defense strategy.

The gatherers agreed that discussions on the strategy will kick off from the president’s proposal.

In addition, the national dialogue statement hoped that the government would place the necessary mechanisms in order to implement the agreements of past talks, urging it to devise a plan to remove Palestinian weapons outside refugee camps

The statement concluded that there can be no substitute for dialogue aimed at reaching an agreement over a defense strategy and the possession of arms in Lebanon in order to maintain stability and national unity.

The country’s top three leaders were optimistic that the national dialogue would succeed despite severe divisions between the March 8 and 14 coalitions on Lebanon’s defense strategy that will be tackled on Monday.

“The discussion of the defense strategy is everyone’s request even if each side has a different approach,” President Michel Suleiman told al-Liwaa daily after he held behind-the-scene consultations with all dialogue members in the past week with the aim of reconciling their viewpoints.

His sources said in remarks to As Safir newspaper that the president would seek to achieve tangible results during the all-party talks at Baabda Palace.

Speaker Nabih Berri, who is among 15 leaders who attended the second dialogue session since its resumption on June 11, said: “Everything is allowed in the dialogue except for failure.”

“Each side has the right to propose what it’s got or what it thinks of,” he added.

Premier Najib Miqati was also optimistic, saying “there is a possibility to find an opening in the wall.”

During the last session, 16 out of the 17 leaders attended the talks after Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi was hospitalized. The Lebanese Forces had already announced their boycott.

Monday’s session was attended by 15 politicians after Safadi failed again to attend the meeting and deputy Speaker Farid Makari travelled on Sunday.

The second round of all-party talks came amid sharp differences between the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance and the opposition March 14 coalition that considers the discussion of the defense strategy as part of attempts to integrate Hizbullah’s arms into the Lebanese army.

But the party considers its weapons necessary to defend Lebanon against Israel.