Suleiman Insists on Participation of All Parties as Condition to Launch Dialogue
President Michel Suleiman will unveil during the upcoming days his discussions about the necessity of re-launching the national dialogue with the different parties and the issues that should be tackled on the table, As Safir reported on Tuesday.
Presidential sources told the newspaper that the president is “determined to make use of the previous dialogue rounds to be a starting point for the new dialogue table in an attempt to establish a defense strategy.”
The sources noted that the president was planning to invite the different party leaders for talks, but the sharp division in stances and the escalatory statements made by the March 14 forces prevented him from carrying on with his plan.
The president “feared that some political forces might not participate in the dialogue, especially al-Mustaqbal movement.”
The March 14-led opposition insists on limiting the national dialogue table discussions to Hizbullah’s arms, doubting the objectives behind the all-party talks if the weapons article wasn’t on its agenda.
Meanwhile, Syrian Social National Party sources told As Safir that “the confrontational statements and the escalatory political rhetoric that is increasing the division and tension (in the country), will back down if the dialogue was launched.”
The sources said “we pledged the president to go on with the dialogue policy, but if he failed in getting a unanimous stance (from officials) then we should return to discussing the main issue which is the national defense strategy.”
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