Berri Says No 'Preconditions' for Hizbullah-Mustaqbal Dialogue but Saniora Calls for 'Framework'
Speaker Nabih Berri has said that both Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement agreed not to have preconditions on their expected dialogue on the crises gripping the country.
“This issue has been settled and is now behind us,” local dailies published on Monday quoted Berri as saying.
He reiterated that efforts are now underway to agree on the agenda of the talks.
“What's important now is for the bilateral dialogue to kick off. The two sides later have the freedom to discuss controversial issues,” he said.
The venue of the talks is not a problem, he said, adding Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal officials could meet anywhere they want.
Al-Mustaqbal bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora shied away from responding to a question whether there were preconditions for the talks.
“We should at least set the framework for dialogue,” he told As Safir daily.
The lawmaker stressed al-Mustaqbal and Hizbullah should “find a way to resolve certain problems amid the growing dangers in the country.”
He revealed that al-Mustaqbal leader ex-PM Saad Hariri is expected during a TV appearance on Thursday to hint at the path which dialogue would take.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's aide Hussein Khalil told As Safir that the party “still believes in extending its hand” to the country's other factions.
But stressed Hizbullah insists on holding dialogue without preconditions.
Asked about Saniora's demand to come up with a “framework” for dialogue, Khalil said: “The importance is to agree on the agenda.”
Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal disagree on major issues in the country, mainly the defense strategy.
Al-Mustaqbal officials have also been calling on Hizbullah to withdraw its members from Syria. The party has sent its fighters to help troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad against the rebels.
The two sides are also at odds over the presidential elections. Al-Mustaqbal is backing Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea while Hizbullah supports the candidacy of its ally Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.
The differences between the March 8 and March 14 alliances have left the country without a president since May.
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