FPM Says 'There's a Will' to Reach Solutions with LF despite 'Difficulties'
The Free Patriotic Movement announced Tuesday that it is determined with the Lebanese Forces to reach "common denominators" in their ongoing dialogue, despite “difficulties and obstacles” hindering the unprecedented talks between the two rivals.
“Everyone knows that the details of our talks with the LF are being kept confidential and dialogue aims to reach common solutions to pave the way for a breakthrough in the current crisis,” MP Ibrahim Kanaan announced after the weekly meeting of the FPM's Change and Reform bloc in Rabieh.
“We hope we'll be able to reach common denominators and to avoid obstacles, so that we can achieve the aspirations of the Lebanese and the Christians,” Kanaan added.
And as he admitted that there are “difficulties and obstacles” in the talks, the lawmakers stressed that the two parties “have the will to reach solutions that respect the will of the Lebanese, the Constitution and Lebanon's interest.”
Kanaan and LF media officer Melhem Riachi had recently started meetings away from the media spotlight at the request of FPM chief MP Michel Aoun and LF leader Samir Geagea.
Both Geagea and Aoun have announced their candidacies for the presidency. Their rivalry, in addition to other issues, have left Baabda Palace vacant since President Michel Suleiman's six-year tenure ended in May last year.
The two parties are currently embarked on preparing a so-called declaration of intent paper consisting reportedly of 17 sections. To this end, Kanaan visited Maarab on Friday and met with Geagea for two hours.
Separately, Kaanan revealed Tuesday that the bloc has a proposal that will be discussed with Prime Minister Tammam Salam in the coming days in a bid to resolve the dispute over the mechanism of cabinet's work.
"Our discussions with the prime minister will proceed in the coming days on the basis of preventing obstruction and the importance of the presence of a president," Kanaan said.
"We want the government to carry on with its work because its paralysis is harmful for Lebanon, but at the same time we can't consider that things are the same with and without a president," he added.
Salam's 24-minister cabinet assumed presidential powers after Suleiman's departure but its meetings were suspended around two weeks ago due to a dispute over the signatures needed to issue decrees.
Decrees were being passed with the signatures of all 24 ministers but some cabinet members complained that the mechanism allowed some colleagues to practice an arbitrary veto power.
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