Mustaqbal: Hizbullah Must Clarify Its Stance on Dialogue over Arms

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday called on Hizbullah to “clarify its stance on dialogue over the issue of arms, especially after MP Mohammed Raad’s condemned remarks.”

“Dialogue is an important and essential method to resolve disputes and it is not for maneuvering,” the bloc added in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

The bloc stressed “the importance of insisting on national dialogue among all parties as an approach and method to resolve disputes, improve the formulas of understanding and consolidate coexistence among the Lebanese.”

Last week, MP Raad, head of Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc, said: “Let those who don’t want the Resistance tell us about the method they will adopt to liberate the rest of our land.”

“Right now, we don’t want a national defense strategy, as we’re still in the phase of liberation and we have plenty of time ahead to discuss the defense strategy after liberation,” Raad added.

And as Mustaqbal lauded President Michel Suleiman’s “call for dialogue and efforts to maintain it and make it succeed,” it stressed “the importance of guaranteeing the circumstances and requirements needed for the success of dialogue, which should happen between parties that are equal in rights and duties.”

The bloc added that “honest steps are needed for the success of any dialogue process, including efforts to implement any resolutions the parties agree on.”

On Monday, Suleiman postponed a national dialogue session that was set to be held on Tuesday after the March 14 camp announced that it will be boycotting the all-party talks.

The next session will now be held on August 16.

The March 14 camp had decided to boycott the session over “the refusal of Hizbullah’s leadership to discuss the issue of arms.”

The March 14 forces have announced three preconditions to take part in any upcoming dialogue session: “Handing over the complete telecom data (related to the attempt on MP Boutros Harb’s life), including the IMSI, to the security agencies; lifting the political and factional cover off the suspects; and abiding by the Lebanese Constitution which underlines the exclusive authority of the state over arms.”

Al-Mustaqbal bloc said “refraining or procrastinating in providing security agencies with the telecom data in an automatic and uninterrupted manner undermines the credibility of these (political) forces and raises doubts about the use of dialogue … especially in light of their clinging to illegitimate arms … and using them to target the other parties in the country and refrain from handing over the suspects.”

The bloc warned that “any dialogue that is not based on the principle of abiding by the Constitution -- in terms of the authority of the state and its exclusive right to possess arms -- would be futile and a waste of time.”

Separately, the bloc lauded President Suleiman’s instructions for the foreign minister to file a complaint with Syria over its recent border violations, describing the president’s move as a “courageous and essential stance that stemmed from his duty to protect the state and its territory and citizens.”

On the other hand, the bloc said it “strongly condemns” the government’s “silence and inaction towards the Syrian regime’s violations and the inappropriate behavior of this regime’s ambassador, the last of which was his response to the president (Suleiman) which violated the diplomatic norms.”

“The Syrian regime’s continued disregard for Lebanon’s sovereignty requires Lebanon to complain to the Arab League and the U.N. in order to protect its border and force (Syria) to respect its sovereignty,” the bloc added.