Bkirki-Hizbullah Dialogue Committee Meets

The members of the committee tasked with following up on the dialogue between Bkirki and Hizbullah met for the first time since Hizbullah politburo Hajj Mahmoud Qmati assumed the tasks of his predecessor Ghaleb Abou Zaynab.

According to al-Joumhouria newspaper, the committee's meeting, which was held on Wednesday night at the seat of the Maronite church in Bkirki, aims at activating the dialogue between Bkirki and Hizbullah.

The committee's members Bishop Samir Mazloum, Hizbullah official Hareth Shehab, Qmati, Abou Zainab and Hajj Moustapha al-Hajj Ali attended the talks.

The talks come in light of an ongoing presidential vacuum at the Baabda Palace.

Lebanon has been without a head state since May when the term of President Michel Suleiman ended without the election of his successor.

Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps have thwarted the elections.

Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal recently kicked off dialogue at Ain el-Tineh under the sponsorship of Speaker Nabih Berri as representatives of the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement began preparing for a similar dialogue to take part between LF chief Samir Geagea and FPM leader Michel Aoun.

H.K.

M.T.