Gemayel Urges Officials to Attend National Dialogue

Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel revealed on Thursday that his party continuously voiced its support to the national dialogue.

“Our stance is very clear regarding this matter,” he said after holding talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkirki.

Gemayel urged those who have any comments or objections to attend the all-party talks.

“We realize that there are some issues that don’t have a swift solution,” he added.

Gemayel said in an interview with the Progressive Socialist Party website on Thursday that the resumption of the national dialogue is important as imposing “impossible” conditions will obstruct the all-party talks.

“This will not help reduce tension in the country,” he stated.

He pointed out that the officials must exert efforts to restore calm and stability throughout Lebanon “whatever the differences were.”

“Consensus among the Lebanese is a necessity to limit the tension and fortify the country amid the developments in the region,” he noted.

Media reports said that the March 14 forces are preparing a memorandum to hand President Michel Suleiman listing the factors that are key to their participation in the national dialogue.

The conditions consist of the formation of a neutral government ahead of the 2013 parliamentary elections, setting the issue of illegal arms as a main topic of discussion, keeping Lebanon away from regional disputes, and asserting the role of the army in Lebanon.

Asked about Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s call for the establishment of a national conference on state-building, Gemayel said that “it’s not the appropriate time for such a proposal.”

“This doesn’t appease a major part of the Lebanese,” he added.

Nasrallah has called for the creation of a “constituent assembly” that would “put Lebanon on the right track.”

Concerning the turmoil in the neighboring country Syria and its repercussions on Lebanon, Gemayel stated that some sides have foreign agendas that they want to implement in Lebanon and are responsible for the recent “tragic” incidents in the northern city of Tripoli.

“They want to spread instability in Lebanon,” he said.

He urged all officials to unite to reach “positive neutrality” in order to preserve Lebanon and not involve it in the regional and international wars.

Tripoli has witnessed fierce clashes between Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh, leaving 14 people dead.

Sectarian violence has flared several times in the city since the revolt broke out in Syria in March 2011.