PSP Delegation, Hizbullah Agree on 'Importance' of Dialogue
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
A Progressive Socialist Party delegation held talks on Wednesday with Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem as part of an initiative to achieve a breakthrough in the lingering political crisis in the country.
“We agreed on the importance of the resumption of dialogue among the political powers to reach common grounds,” Transportation and Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi told reporters.
He pointed out that the only way to reach consensus is through dialogue.
Aridi noted that the delegation will hold talks with all the Lebanese parties and “will not exclude anyone.”
PSP leader MP Walid Jumblat's initiative focuses on the need for the return of all political powers to dialogue, ending any boycott, and halting the tense media exchanges between the rival factions.
He called on all officials on Monday to abide by the Baabda Declaration - made in June after the first national dialogue in over 18 months - in which rival political leaders pledged to commit themselves to dialogue and political, security and media pacification, avoid speeches that fuel sectarian incitement and bolster stability to prevent Lebanon from sliding into sectarian strife.
The minister stressed that Jumblat's initiative is to express support to “President Michel Suleiman efforts to defuse tension among the rival parties.”
The delegation has previously held talks with Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Miqati, who welcomed the initiative.
Asked about the president's decision to postpone the all-party talks session that was scheduled to be held on Thursday at the Baabda Palace, Aridi said that “this decision isn't to give time for the parties to take our initiative into consideration but because there's a political alliance that doesn't want to attend.”
Suleiman postponed on Wednesday the national dialogue session to the first week of January.
“All the Lebanese parties don't want to ignite the situation locally despite the surrounding developments in the region,” Aridi said.
He urged officials to safeguard the country from the negative repercussions in the region.
The delegation included in addition to Aridi, ministers Wael Abou Faour, Alaeddine Terro and several other officials in the PSP.
For his part, Qassem said in a statement that Hizbullah agrees on the importance of the resumption of dialogue among the rival parties but “without previously imposed conditions.”
“Our position is clear in that no faction, no matter how great it is, can usurp power or sectarian or political representation in Lebanon,” he explained.
“The only productive and effective solution lies in searching for means that may help reach constructive dialogue, which is the substitute for power vacuum in Lebanon,” he stressed.
“In the end, those banking on the outcome of regional and international developments will realize that dialogue is the solution, but that will only happen after losses, which can be avoided, are incurred,” Qassem remarked.
Earlier PSP Secretary Zafer Nasser told As Safir newspaper that “the delegation is tackling with Lebanese foes the current political crisis and fears of slipping into a dangerous level as a result to the current boycott among officials,”.
Nasser pointed out that the delegation is also seeking to reach consensus with the rival parties over the formation of a new cabinet through dialogue.
According to As Safir, the delegation is scheduled to meet with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun at 11:00 a.m. on Friday.
The assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch chief Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hasan on October 19 deepened the gap between the March 14 and 8 alliances.
The opposition boycotted political activity with its foes after it blamed Miqati's government for covering up the crime, calling on it to step down, and said it would not sit at the same dialogue table with Hizbullah.
28 November 2012, 08:58
37
PSP .... you can only contribute by resigning again and giving the government back to march 14.
28 November 2012, 13:29
24
Jumblatt is again playing with the filthy militia. Everyday they will give more and more in to his demands.
28 November 2012, 15:53
16
If the purpose of this dialogue is to attempt to reconcile all parties to Hezbollah hegemony based on its weapons, this dialogue business is a waste of time and potentially dangerous.
In a constitutional republic, such as Lebanon, all parties should dialogue in order to bring themselves into reconciliation with the constitution and constitutional government. Any action, currently undertaken by the parties that are outside of the constitution and that cannot be reconciled with it, must be discarded.
As long as the red lines in Lebanon are around Hezbollah's weapons and not around the Lebanese Constitution, there is no basis for dialogue as the two, Hezbollah armed an autonomous vs. a constitutional monopoly on the use of organized force with the LAF and ISF, are inherently inconsistent, one with the other.
28 November 2012, 15:57
14
If we can say, however, that the purpose of the dialogue is to bring Hezbollah's weapons into reconciliation with the constitution by bringing their control and use within the national defense structure whereby the weapons are handed over to the army and the weapons are deployed pursuant to a national defense strategy devised by the Lebanese elected political leadership and used based on the decision of that Lebanese political leadership, then there is a basis for discussion.
However, for this to happen, Iran, the owner of the weapons must consent and they are not at the dialogue table, rather, their agents in Hezbollah who do not have the independent decision in their hand with regard to the weapons. These agents are not decision makers and are not equal with the other Lebanese political leaders who would be at the table.
28 November 2012, 16:40
14
They took over is a dirty way. Now they want to talk. People who wave their finger in my face do not want to talk. They want M14 back in the gov't in a minority role so they can be blamed for the disaster M8 has started.
28 November 2012, 17:01
25
He probably already did that and was bringing it up to his nose to sniff it.
28 November 2012, 20:16
13
Why do they have rag heads as spokespeople, and everyone else has elected officials? This is not and will not be run like Iran.
28 November 2012, 21:39
10
"When we made the gov't fall and embarrassed Hariri while he was in Washington and took over in a coup that was all in the spirit of dialog and making the country good. Now that everything ia a mess and the Wiliat boys look terrible dialog is important".
