13 September 2013

BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman defended Thursday the Baabda Declaration after Hezbollah and its March 8 allies had criticized the pact designed to shield Lebanon from the repercussions of the war in Syria.

The declaration is currently at the center of a heated debate between the March 14 coalition, which is pushing for the pact to be adopted as a policy statement of a new Cabinet, and the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance, which wants to see the Army, people and Resistance formula remain in the next governments ministerial statement.

The Baabda Declaration constitutes an important document closely linked to the National Dialogue Committees work. In addition to its adoption officially by the United Nations and the Arab League, the declaration constitutes an inclusive political framework that can unite sincere efforts aimed at safeguarding this nations sovereignty and unity, according to a statement released by Sleimans office and broadcast on local television channels.

While it [the declaration] paves the way for discussing a comprehensive national defense strategy, it also outlines the sound path to benefitting from all available national capabilities to defend Lebanon in the face of the Israeli enemy and its ambitions, it added.

The statement came days after several March 8 lawmakers, including Hezbollah and Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh, criticized the Baabda Declaration.

The declaration, signed by rival March 8 and March 14 leaders during a National Dialogue session chaired by Sleiman at Baabda Palace in June 2012, calls for keeping Lebanon away from regional and international conflicts and sparing it the negative repercussions of regional tensions and crises, particularly in Syria.

Nabatieh MP Mohammad Raad, the head of Hezbollahs parliamentary bloc, said recently that the Baabda Declaration was stillborn.

In a television interview earlier this week, Franijeh said the declaration consisted of mere ideas for discussion proposed by Sleiman that were neither read nor approved.

The presidential statement said the clarification aimed to clear up the confusion after the declaration was linked to Sleimans plan for a national defense strategy presented during a National Dialogue session.

The statement said the Baabda Declaration was upheld during three consecutive sessions held following the session that approved it, while it did not address the divisive issue of Hezbollahs arms.

The Baabda Declaration did not contain any clause dealing with the Resistance or its weapons and did not address the issue of benefiting from the Resistances capabilities and placing them at the disposal of the Lebanese state, the statement said.

It added that Sleiman presented a plan for a defense strategy to the National Dialogue meeting of Sept. 20, 2012, at Baabda Palace.

Sleimans plan was considered by the Dialogue Committee as a springboard for discussion to reach a consensus on a national defense strategy, the statement said.

The plan was to be discussed in subsequent meetings that havent taken place yet, it added.

During a dialogue session held on June 25, 2012, leaders agreed on the need to adhere seriously to the provisions of the Baabda Declaration, particularly those related to toning down security, political and media rhetoric, supporting the Lebanese Army, and neutralizing Lebanon from regional and international conflicts, according to the presidential statement.

The Future Movement and its March 14 allies have accused Hezbollah of violating the Baabda Declaration with its military intervention in Syria Hezbollah has defended its intervention, arguing that it is needed to protect Lebanon from the threat of Salafist groups.

Media reports said Hezbollah and its March 8 allies would respond to Sleimans statement in a strongly-worded declaration Friday, and Bint Jbeil MP Hasan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah official, refused to comment on Sleimans statement when contacted by The Daily Star.The Central News Agency quoted senior March 8 sources as saying that the Baabda Declaration would never serve as a policy statement of any Cabinet.

Canceling the Army, people and Resistance equation is out of the question, the CNA quoted the sources as saying.

March 8 insists on its rejection of the Baabda Declaration, which will remain ink on paper, the sources said.

The March 14 coalition, which has strongly rejected Hezbollahs Army, people and Resistance formula contained in the policy statements of previous governments, has called for the Baabda Declaration to be the basis of the next Cabinets policy statement.

Hezbollah and its March 8 allies uphold the Army, people and Resistance formula as the best means to defend Lebanon against a possible Israeli attack.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai also joined the fray Thursday over the Baabda Declaration Mikati told reporters that the declaration had been approved by all leaders attending National Dialogue sessions, while Rai urged the rival factions to abide by it.

There was unanimous consensus on all the items of the Baabda Declaration during the dialogue sessions, Mikati said. The items were presented to us and we discussed some observations in order to amend some items and so we did and the agreement was displayed to all of us via a screen.

We all agreed then thats what I remember and thats what happened.

For his part, Rai said at Beirut airport before leaving for a three-day visit to Romania: The Baabda Declaration is known, and written, and has been agreed by all the parties who put it on a screen where it was read, rectified and drafted.

Responding to the pacts critics, Rai said: Some voices that say we didnt discuss this or this doesnt exist or ink on paper ... But ... the declaration was presented and put forward to all the parties and this is enough for them to abide by it.

He added that following Sleimans statement, none of the parties that signed the declaration could disclaim it.

Copyright The Daily Star 2013.