Suleiman Says to Call for Mid-June National Dialogue, Urges March 14 to Heed Call without Preconditions
President Michel Suleiman on Thursday announced that he will call for a national dialogue conference to be held in the second week of June, urging the March 14 forces to heed his call without linking it to the issue of forming a new government.
“Of course I will call for dialogue and I have already voiced several calls and informed the leaders of the topics: the defense strategy concerning when and how the Resistance's arms must be used; the implementation of the previous resolutions as to removing Palestinian arms outside camps and organizing them inside camps; and the removal of weapons from Lebanese cities and towns,” said Suleiman in an interview on LBC.
“In the next few days, I will send everyone a written letter calling for dialogue to be held in the second week of June, and those who have certain conditions must announce them during the first session of dialogue,” the president added.
Earlier on Thursday, the March 14 forces called for forming a “neutral, salvation government,” revealing that they will “very soon submit an initiative” to Suleiman that is “aimed at confronting the attempt to ruin Lebanon.”
In a statement issued after an emergency meeting in the wake of the latest unrest in the country, the March 14 forces noted that “confronting the conspiracy of ruining Lebanon and the collapse of its state requires the resignation of the government and the formation of a government of civil peace, a neutral salvation government that would help the president relaunch dialogue over arms -- all arms -- implement the national dialogue table's resolutions and oversee free elections.”
Suleiman said that “if any side has objections against the government, it must voice them at the dialogue table and these two things must not be mixed up.”
“I hope March 14 will heed the call without preconditions,” he added.
Suleiman noted that “the government can only be toppled in parliament or through the resignation of its premier.”
“Let us stay within the democratic system,” he went on to say.
The president stressed that “dialogue has always been the solution to any problem throughout our history, from 1943 until now.”
“The leaders of this country must quickly heed my call for resuming dialogue or, God forbid, they will find themselves compelled to attend dialogue under duress,” Suleiman warned.
Asked about the letter he recently received from Saudi King Abdullah about the tense situation in Lebanon, Suleiman said “the efforts of the presidency and the government are the biggest answer to the Saudi king's letter concerning sparing Lebanon the repercussions of the Syrian crisis.”
Asked about the government’s so-called “self-disassociation policy” towards the Syrian crisis, Suleiman said: “We will definitely not change the self-disassociation policy, which is the best stance. The call for positive neutralism dates back to 40 years ago and we have achieved it today.”
Suleiman stressed that the Lebanese state will not allow the creation of “buffer zones” on Lebanese territory aimed at aiding the armed Syrian opposition in its fight against President Bashar Assad’s regime.
“No one has asked us to do so and this issue is harmful to Syria,” said the president.
Commenting on the latest reports about the presence of al-Qaida and other terror organizations in the country, Suleiman stressed that “Lebanon is not a base for al-Qaida or for trafficking weapons to Syria.”
“I am not with arming the rebels from Lebanon and the army is raiding any place suspected of being a base for fighters. Lebanon will not be a launchpad for harming Syria or any Arab country,” the president said.
He also noted that “no one is smuggling money to the regime like the Syrian opposition has claimed.”
Commenting on the issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Suleiman said: “We will heed the needs of the Syrian refugees and offer them all care in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
On the recent travel warnings issued by the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, Suleiman said “the Arab (Gulf) stance is not political and the Arab brothers have not left Lebanon and they know that the security problems are not dangerous.”
He revealed that he “will seek to visit Arab countries concerned with the Lebanese situations.”
“I will also discuss the regional situations and I may make many tours,” he added.
Suleiman reassured that “war (in Syria) has not and will not spill over to Lebanon and the ongoing repercussions have no political prospect and the parties do not want to change the Taef Accord.”
“Any incident caused by the turbulence will be addressed,” he said.
He noted that “security has been fine over the past four years and today the repercussions of the Syrian crisis are inevitable but can be easily resolved.”
“The future of Lebanon is secure and promising but everyone must show care and not be dragged into political disputes and politicians must not interfere in the Syrian crisis and must ask their supporters not to interfere,” the president urged.
On the issue of Lebanese Shiite pilgrims abducted in Syria, Suleiman said: “According to the available information, the abductees are in good health and they will be freed.”
“No one in Syria will benefit from this unwarranted operation,” he said.
The president’s interview follows the weekend killing of two clerics at an army checkpoint in Akkar, a mainly Sunni Muslim region whose inhabitants are hostile to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The killings ignited street battles in the capital Beirut overnight Sunday-Monday that left two people dead and 18 wounded.
On Wednesday, multiple violent incidents took place in several areas of the capital, which officials said were non-political in nature.
They included a shootout in the Caracas neighborhood in west Beirut, which left two people dead and six police and army troops injured.
Late last week, the Qatari, Emirati, Bahraini and Kuwaiti authorities issued warnings against travel to Lebanon.
Source: Naharnet
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