Suleiman Urges Parties to Engage in Dialogue 'instead of Searching for Excuses, Questioning Participants Eligibility'

President Michel Suleiman on Wednesday stressed that the current circumstances require the rival parties to show willingness to engage in national dialogue, noting that the Baabda Declaration is the only means to find a national defense strategy.

“Independence Day is an occasion to remember the joy of freedom and evaluate the bitterments and achievements of the past decades,” the president said in a televised address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day.

"Independence Day is an occasion to stress our ultimate loyalty to our homeland so that it remains immune to plots, conspiracies and sedition," he added.

Suleiman called on the Lebanese to define their "priorities."

"We must not be dragged into the inferno of regional conflicts and we must agree on a defense strategy for Lebanon that preserves the country's interest and the state's central role," he stated.

The president delcared that authorities sought over the past four years to "consolidate the pillars of the state and stability and we have succeeded to a great extent."

"When the threat of violence materialized against the backdrop of the Syrian crisis, we immediately called for national dialogue and then the Baabda Declaration was achieved and it represents a real roadmap for Lebanon that can spare it the repercussions of the events in the region away from the game of nations," Suleiman noted.

Highlighting Arab and international support for the government's so-called self-disassociation policy towards the Syrian crisis, the president said: “We surrounded our national agreement with a regional and international safety net and the support for the Baabda Declaration was translated through the statements issued by the U.N. Security Council, the European Union and the Arab League.”.

But he warned that “some did not refrain from implicating themselves in several ways in the regional turmoil and in subjecting Lebanon to the threat of civil strife, which began with the incidents in the North and the kidnappings and did not end with the bombings and the assassination of martyr Major General Wissam al-Hasan,” head of the Internal Security Forces' intelligence bureau.

Al-Hasan and two other people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in a powerful car bombing in Ashrafiyeh on October 19.

Al-Hasan was close to ex-PM Saad Hariri and hostile to the regime in Syria. He had been tipped to take over as ISF head at the end of this year.

The ISF played a central role in the arrest in August of former Lebanese information minister Michel Samaha, who has close links to Damascus and was charged with planning attacks in Lebanon and transporting explosives in collaboration with Syrian security chief Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk.

The opposition March 14 camp has accused the Syrian regime of the assassination and called on Prime Minister Najib Miqati to resign. The coalition also decided to boycott any meetings attended by the government, including parliamentary sessions.

"Today, our duty obliges us to clear our hearts and work with resolve, good intentions and loyalty in order to restore confidence in Lebanon, as illustrated through the pope's (recent) historic visit to Lebanon," said Suleiman.

"The Lebanese must return to dialogue so that we can exit the crisis through consultations, in parallel with the strenuous efforts to identify who committed the abominable crime," he added.

"The essence of independence requires us to leave behind any approach of bullying or hegemony. It is unacceptable to gamble with the country's future and history will not be merciful on gamblers," the president cautioned.

He stressed that it is necessary to show willingness to engage in dialogue "instead of searching for excuses or questioning the eligibility of dialogue parties."

"We call for responding to every courageous initiative," the president added.

Suleiman stressed the importance of holding the 2013 parliamentary elections on time.

"How can we let the elections become a door to undermining stability and how can we refrain from holding the elections? We are determined to respect all constitutional junctures away from any intimidation," he said.

"We must agree on a new, modern electoral law that can rein in sectarianism," the president went on to say.

Turning to the issue of the recent long-awaited administrative, judicial and diplomatic appointments, Suleiman said: "After we completed the appointments, we stress the state's determination to press forward with penalizing criminals and consolidating the principle of accountability."

"The regional developments and the intimidation attempts will not hinder the functioning of the state," he underlined.

He also reiterated his call for the judiciary to "speed up the issuance of the indictments," noting that "it should not look into political interpretations."