Suleiman Tries to Ensure Staging of National Dialogue amid March 14 Boycott

The fate of Tuesday’s national dialogue session remains unknown in light of the March 14 camp’s decision to boycott the talks.

Despite the boycott, President Michel Suleiman is attempting to “obtain positive positions” on resuming the all-party talks, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati has also urged all sides to return to dialogue “for the sake of Lebanon.”

Suleiman’s circles told the daily An Nahar Saturday that the president did not receive confirmation from the March 14 leaders that they will boycott the session, which has prompted him to keep the date of the talks for Tuesday.

The meeting could be turned into one of consultations and not part of the national dialogue, they explained.

Miqati meanwhile told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published on Saturday: “Do we have any better option than the dialogue?”

He hoped that Suleiman would be successful in persuading the concerned sides to return to the talks.

“Tackling the affairs of the state requires the cooperation of all sides, the majority and the opposition,” stressed the premier.

Speaker Nabih Berri hoped that the March 14 forces had not chosen to boycott the talks, “because there can be no substitute for dialogue,” reported As Safir newspaper on Saturday.

The March 14 forces on Thursday announced their boycott of the upcoming national dialogue session over “the refusal of Hizbullah’s leadership to discuss the issue of arms.”

“The conferees discussed the latest stances voiced by Hizbullah’s leadership, which rejected to discuss the issue of the party’s arms and blocked the possibility to seriously address the issue of illegal weapons,” the March 14 forces said after a broad meeting at the Center House in downtown Beirut.

Their position came shortly after Loyalty to the Resistance bloc head MP Mohammed Raad stated earlier this week: “We are not in need for a defense strategy as Lebanon is still in the process of liberation.”

“We have plenty of time to discuss defense after the liberation is complete,” he said.

The national dialogue resumed in June after a 19-month absence.

It has since held two sessions that were boycotted by the Lebanese Forces, whose leader Samir Geagea had deemed the talks a “distraction.”

The all-party talks are aimed at discussing a defense strategy for Lebanon, resolving Hizbullah’s possession of arms, and the spread of weapons among Palestinian refugees inside and outside of their camps.