Hussein Dakroub| The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The Future Movement and Hezbollah held a new round of talks Tuesday, voicing their support for dialogue between rival factions in an attempt to cope with the country’s political and security challenges.
Senior officials from the two rival influential parties met at Speaker Nabih Berri’s Ain al-Tineh residence in the 12th round of dialogue designed primarily to reduce sectarian and political tensions, aggravated by the four-year war in Syria.
The two sides discussed security developments in the country and the work of the government.
“They encouraged the continuation of dialogue going on among various parties in order to tackle all issues,” a terse statement issued after the meeting said. It did not give further details.
Tuesday’s dialogue session was held amid renewed tension between the Future Movement and Hezbollah over the party’s involvement in the fighting against Islamist militants in Syria’s Qalamoun mountain range, which straddles Lebanon’s eastern border.
The session was held shortly after the parliamentary Future bloc blasted Hezbollah’s participation along with the Syrian army in the fighting against Islamist militants in Qalamoun. “This involvement exposes Lebanon to further dangers, plunges it into the disaster hitting Syria and causes animosities and internal and external strife,” the bloc said in a statement after its weekly meeting.
It also denounced Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah’s latest speech in which he called on the Lebanese state and the army to expel ISIS and Nusra Front militants holed up in caves on the outskirts of the northeastern town of Arsal.
“The most alarming part in Sayyed Nasrallah’s speech is his announcement that the party will directly confront [jihadis] in Arsal and its outskirts if the Army fails to do so,” the bloc said. “These grave remarks inflame sectarian struggles and further complicate the internal and external situation.”
Future’s tense relations with Hezbollah have been further strained by sharp differences over the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen, with Hezbollah denouncing the kingdom’s offensive against Iranian-allied Houthi rebels and the Future Movement strongly supporting it.
The Future bloc implicitly criticized MP Michel Aoun’s latest initiative to break the yearlong presidential deadlock, by warning against “getting involved in a new novelty that exposes the country and its parliamentary, democratic system to all kinds of dangers.”
Aoun’s initiative calls, among other things, for the election of a president directly by the people in two rounds of voting, first by Christians, and then by all Lebanese.
Meanwhile, while a Free Patriotic Movement delegation met Tuesday with lawmakers from Speaker Nabih Berri’s parliamentary bloc and Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Frangieh as part of calls on blocs to promote Aoun’s presidential proposal, the initiative was dismissed by Kataeb party chief Amine Gemayel and a Future MP.
“Some suggestions come out from here and there, attempting to [manipulate] the Constitution and parliamentary work, while the only thing we need is to go to Parliament and elect a president as soon as possible,” Gemayel told reporters after a meeting with Berri.
Future MP Ammar Houri also criticized Aoun’s initiative, saying his party was working with Hezbollah toward a breakthrough in the presidential deadlock.
After talks with the FPM delegation, MP Ayoub Humayed from Berri’s bloc said his bloc “greatly values” Aoun’s initiative.
The FPM delegation also met with Frangieh at his residence in the northern town of Bneshaai. The FPM is in full understating with Frangieh with regard to Aoun’s initiative, MP Nabil Nicolas from Aoun’s bloc said after the meeting.
For his part, Aoun called on the government to carry out security and military appointments, warning against the extension of the terms of incumbent officers. He said the government has lost its “constitutionality by allowing the already enacted renewals.”
“Many have ruled for long years by violating the laws … in the end they all broke their necks and retreated,” Aoun told reporters. “Concerning the security appointments, don’t violate the laws. You will end up paying the price.”
Aoun lashed out at Defense Minister Samir Moqbel over the issue of extending security officers’ terms. “The Cabinet is committing illegitimate acts. They have no right to reserve any security official posts to anyone,” he said.