Lebanese national dialogue enters decisive phase
Lebanon, Politics, 3/4/2006

The Lebanese national reconciliation conference has entered a decisive phase in its second day by discussing differential issues concerning the resignation of the Lebanese President Emil Lahoud and the UN Security Council resolution 1559 which states dismantling the weapons of Hizbullah party and the Palestinian groups in Lebanon.

Leaders of 14 Lebanese political trends met in a third session yesterday at the building of the Lebanese parliament but with the absence of the Druze leader Walid Junblat who left for the USA; leaving the mission of participation on the table of dialogue for his closest aide, the Lebanese minister of information Ghazi al-Areidi.

The same as the two previous sessions, Friday's session was held away from journalists and amid unprecedented security measures.

Parliamentarian Botrous Harb who is taking part in the dialogue representing Qurnet Shahwan said that the politicians are so far pleased about the process of the talks. He said in statements to the Lebanese LBC TV on Friday before the resumption of the talks that the meeting broke what he called psychological barriers among former enemies.

Harb expressed his hope that Friday's meeting will be decisive in certain issues, noting that the participants in the meeting will discuss the Presidential crisis and the weapons of Hizbullah and the Palestinian groups in Lebanon, noting that the agenda is still long.

For his part, the chairman of the parliamentary majority at the Lebanese parliament Saad al-Hariri said that there are no tabooed issues in the dialogue, noting that " the most important thing for me today that we as Lebanese speak to each other."

Leaders of the parliamentary majority including the Druze leader Walid Junblat and Saad al-Hariri and the chairman of the executive commission in the Lebanese forces Samir Jajaa called for quitting President Lahoud.

Prior to convening the dialogue conference on Thursday Jaajaa and Junblat called for the implementation of UN security council resolution 1559 which calls implicitly for dismantling the weapons of Hizbullah and the Palestinian camps.

Jaajaa rejects the resignation of Lahoud before making early parliamentary elections in a new election law, while the secretary general of the Lebanese Hizbullah party has reservations on demanding the resignation of Lahoud.

However, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament Nabih Berri said he did not take any stand concerning items debated for discussions.

Previous Stories:
  Daily Star: Lebanese army seals Syrian border   (3/3/2006)
  Lebanese national reconciliation conference   (3/3/2006)
  Lebanese consensus on international court for Hariri assassination   (3/3/2006)

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