Report: Officials Set Stage for Hizbullah-Mustaqbal Dialogue to 'Limit Shiite-Sunni' Tension
Nader Hariri, who is the adviser of al-Mustaqbal movement chief ex-PM Saad Hariri, has held talks with Speaker Nabih Berri's aide Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil to set the stage for the dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The daily said that the meeting between Nader Hariri and Khalil took place on Monday.
Local dailies published Monday quoted Speaker Nabih Berri as saying that contacts between him and the representatives of the two parties will become more active this week.
The current consultations are focusing on setting the agenda of the talks.
Al-Akhbar quoted a high-ranking official as saying that a date has not been set yet for the dialogue. But he expected the talks to take place before the holidays.
There are high hopes that the dialogue would set the stage for consensus on a new president.
Lebanon has been without a head of state since May when President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ended amid a failure to find a successor over differences between the rival March 8 and March 14 alliances on a compromise candidate.
The Hizbullah official ruled out a breakthrough on the presidential deadlock at this stage.
He told al-Akhbar that the dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal would currently be limited to “containing the tension between the Shiite and Sunni” sects.
The aide of Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hussein Khalil, and a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc, MP Hassan Fadlallah, are likely to represent Hizbullah in the talks, while Nader Hariri and lawmaker Jamal al-Jarrah will be the Mustaqbal representatives.
G.K.
H.K.
over 9 years
While one should support those talks between our Sunni and Shiite compatriots to reduce the rising tensions, one can not but lament that us Christians are unable to arrange a similar intra-Christian dialogue. All the Christian parties, and especially Aoun, are responsible for this sad state of affairs. It is one thing to vie with all ones might to secure the Chair, quite another to cause harm to the main Christian seat in Lebanon's power sharing equation.
Aoun's ego has no bounds and as such he will go down in history as the one who weakened the Christians by refusing to bend in the face of insurmountable opposition to his presidential bid. By refusing any compromise, Aoun is weakening and ultimately surrendering the Christians' prerogative.
It is not too late for the Christians to take back the initiative if only Aoun can set his ego aside.
over 9 years
He will never set his ego aside. I share your views and believe the traditional Christian role in decision making is long gone due to aoun's stances. I never thought the day will come when half the Christians of Lebanon are organically allied with a sectarian militia, Iran, and the despicable regime of Syria. It just shows how personal, monetary, and popular stances take precedence over existential matters.
over 9 years
Why does the Maronite community give this man the authority to speak in their name. SURELY there must be someone better than him???? SURELY they must be embarrassed by him? The guy is a joke- a megalomaniac psychotic....why do you accept him???
over 9 years
Ebola will not stop infecting and terrorizing.
over 9 years
Always open for dialogue, even with Mostaqbal, they did show support for the army, during the Tripoli raids after all.
Talks about Resistance pullout of Syria, is out of the question though. It will not happen, and the talks will fail, if they continue to use that subject.
over 9 years
Ebola will not stop infecting and terrorizing
yeah, reward these terrorists with more concessions disguised as dialogue. These criminals understand one and one language only. It is the language of arms.... to talk to an outlaw you have to understand how he thinks. Unfortunately, Mustaqbal are not experienced in this field.