Gemayel Says Phalange Party to Attend Dialogue Session

Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel stressed on Thursday that he will attend the upcoming all-party talks out of respect for the presidency even if the March 14 alliance rejected to engage in dialogue with the March 8 foes.

“Our stance is clear. We will attend the upcoming dialogue session as we respect the presidency but if the main figures rejected to attend it, we leave it to the president (Michel Suleiman) to take the appropriate decision” on whether to go ahead with the session or postpone it, Gemayel said in comments published in As Safir newspaper.

The Phalange leader pointed out that he can't reject any initiative taken by the president to resolve the lingering political crisis.

The next dialogue session is set for January 7.

Lebanon plunged in a political crisis in October after the opposition blamed the government for the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch chief Wissam al-Hasan.

The March 14 opposition has boycotted all government and parliamentary activity linked to the elections, however, it made concessions by announcing earlier this month that it would end its boycott of the parliamentary subcommittee to discuss an electoral law ahead of the 2013 polls.

The opposition demands the resignation of the government as a condition to ending its boycott and the formation of a national salvation cabinet.

Sources close to Suleiman told As Safir that he is exerting all efforts to convince the political foes to attend the dialogue session as its the only alternative for resolving the crisis.

The sources noted that if the opposition held on to its stance, rejecting to attend the January 7 session, then he will seek another solution.