Suleiman Chairs Last National Dialogue Session of his Term

President Michel Suleiman chaired on Monday a largely-boycotted national dialogue session, which called for continued talks on the country's defense strategy and stressed the importance of the implementation of the Taef accord.

The meeting was the last before his term expires on May 25.

Several officials did not attend the all-party talks, including Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun, Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, Marada movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh, the head of the Syrian Social National Party MP Assaad Hardan and MP Talal Arslan, who heads the Lebanese Democratic Party.

Aoun telephoned Suleiman ahead of the session, informing him that he would not be able to attend for personal reasons.

The closing statement stressed the importance of keeping the all-party talks as a way to avoid conflicts.

It also vowed to continue to find ways to reach an agreement on the defense strategy and the importance of implemeting the Taef Accord and the respect of Constitutional events.

March 8 officials considered the dialogue “useless,” telling As Safir daily that Suleiman's tenure was over.

“It would have been better for him not to hold this session,” the officials, who were not identified, said.

Hizbullah's ties with Suleiman reached the lowest point earlier this year when the president urged the party to avoid inflexible equations that hindered the birth of the government’s policy statement.

Suleiman's criticism drew a sharp retort from Hizbullah, which said the president needed “specialized care.”

Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat hailed the president after the session, telling reporters at Baabda Palace that Suleiman has left a mark in history after overseeing the agreement of the March 8 and 14 camps on the Baabda Declaration.

Despite the approval, Hizbullah sent its fighters to Syria to help the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad against rebels seeking to topple him.

Jumblat also lauded Suleiman for rejecting the extension of his term.

As Safir said that Speaker Nabih Berri could take over the initiative to chair the national dialogue sessions if there was a presidential vacuum over the failure of lawmakers to elect a new head of state.

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