10 August 2011
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai’s positions, articulated in his visit to the Chouf over the weekend, constitute major support for the efforts of President Michel Sleiman in calling for a National Dialogue committee, especially as both men believe that solutions come by way of quiet discussion, listening to one other and leaving the streets where talk stops and violence begins, which is something that Lebanon cannot endure given the volatility of the region.
Attention is focused on Baabda Palace where an iftar will be held next Thursday, attended by a group of officials, politicians and religious leaders. Sleiman will give a speech addressing the latest national and Arab developments. Political sources say that the president will address the issue of dialogue, based on what he put forward in Amchit on July 17, and the need to develop appropriate frameworks for dialogue to resolve contentious issues pertaining to defense strategy. This would require real reconciliation and the re-establishment of trust among the county’s leaders and its various political and partisan components, in light of the pluralistic composition of Lebanon as well as the collective interest to embody the idea of consensual democracy based on the 1943 National Pact, the Lebanese Constitution and the Taif Accord.
The president will also mention that the idea of dialogue has been with him since he was in the Army Command, preserving the military doctrine which could not be weakened by political loyalties and affiliations. The army was able to preserve its unity and solidarity under the most challenging of circumstances. Sleiman will also say that the call for dialogue would be a move toward the start of resolving political and economic issues and preparing for impending challenges from abroad, which will require the greatest amount of national unity in order to protect the nation and its stability and preserve civil peace.
The second issue the president will address is the duty of leaders and political parties to discuss how to preserve Lebanon’s role and position in the region and the world, which is embodied specifically in its representing the Arab world in the U.N Security Council and defending its rights against Israeli ambitions. Sleiman will not forget the social issues worrying citizens and will call on the Cabinet to give them the necessary attention. He will also stress the need to continue working for justice, stability and balanced development, as well as the need to bridge constitutional gaps – which have contributed over the years to paralyzing state activities – so that there will be a redistribution of power among the three branches of state authority in a way that achieves balance.
Although the situation in Syria will not come up in the speech, sources consider that the president’s stance comes from the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of any state, even if he prefers that the fulfillment of the reforms requested by the people be accompanied by a strengthening of the security situation, heading off armed and subversive groups.
These sources believe that Lebanon must address countries based on the social, political and sectarian composition of the state as well as the nature of the internal conflict, which vary between religious, ethnic, social and ideological disputes contrary to the will of rulers, and according to the strength and harmony of each Arab community.
Therefore, it is necessary to take into consideration the reality of the different situation before moving to implement the policies and suggestions of Europe and the United States. Proof of the need for this step are the attempts for reforms undertaken by the Moroccan king two weeks ago, limiting the power of the Cabinet vis-à-vis Parliament, as well as the constitutional reforms undertaken by the Jordan king, which were accepted by the people. The situations in Syria, Libya and Yemen differ entirely because of the nature of the disputes and the complicated relations among the societies’ many components.
Copyright The Daily Star 2011.
