Geagea: Dispute over Govt. Must Be Resolved before Resuming National Dialogue
Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea stated on Friday that he “understands” President Michel Suleiman’s call for dialogue “because I am aware of the amount of dangers surrounding Lebanon.”
He said before reporters in Maarab: “The dispute over the government must be resolved before dialogue can he held.”
“The conditions needed to hold the dialogue are unavailable,” he remarked.
Geagea explained that the other camp is obligated to implement past dialogue agreements on tackling Hizbullah and Palestinian possession of arms.
The least the government can do at the moment is implement the agreement reached over the Palestinian arms, he noted.
He continued: “The current government opposes dialogue given the way it was formed and the majority of the decisions it has made.”
“This government has nothing to do with dialogue as its members can’t even hold talks among each other,” he added.
“The first step to resuming the talks lies in the government’s resignation and the formation of a neutral one,” he stressed.
Addressing the travel restrictions imposed by Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE against its citizens heading to Lebanon, the LF chief said: “This means that these countries do not trust the current government.”
“The March 14 camp is aware of the significance of this development. Other Arab countries will take similar measures, so is it in Lebanon’s interest for this government to continue in power?” wondered Geagea.
The four Gulf countries imposed the travel restriction after recent unrest in northern Lebanon in light of clashes in the northern city of Tripoli between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, which left some 10 people dead and over 70 wounded.
Geagea congratulated the Lebanese people on the “glorious” occasion of the Resistance and Liberation day, noting that “over 50 percent of the Lebanese people consider the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon on April 26, 2005 to be another glorious day, which should be marked as a national holiday/”
Phalange Party MPs Samer Saadeh and Sami Gemayel had presented on May 15 a draft law on turning the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon into a national holiday.
Source: Naharnet
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