Panel Fails Anew to Finalize Policy Statement as Abou Faour Suspends Mediation
The committee drafting the ministerial policy statement on Monday failed again to reach an agreement over the controversial clause related to resistance against Israel, adjourning its discussions to Friday.
In light of the continued deadlock, President Michel Suleiman will have to attend the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon in Paris on Wednesday while representing a government that does not have a policy statement, something he was trying to avoid.
“Deliberations are still ongoing in the same positive manner and things need further political talks,” Health Minister Wael Abou Faour, the panel's spokesman, said after the eighth session at the Grand Serail.
“Talks were deep, civilized and responsible,” he noted, underlining that the latest war of words between Suleiman and Hizbullah “did not complicate the discussions.”
Abou Faour said the conferees agreed to continue “the same positive atmospheres at the political level and in the media.”
“There was no 'white smoke' in the session but also no black smoke and the session was adjourned to Friday due to the foreign visit of the president and some ministers,” he noted.
Meanwhile, MTV said "the first moments of the meeting of the policy statement panel did not witness any chats and jokes, unlike what happened in the previous sessions, and the Hizbullah-Suleiman debate has left an impact on the meeting."
"We're still hoping ex-PM Saad Hariri will exert special efforts to rescue the situation," Future TV quoted Abou Faour as saying.
In remarks to al-Manar TV, Abou Faour said: “Mediations have stopped and I'm not communicating with anyone.”
Following an escalation by Phalange Party Central Committee Coordinator MP Sami Gemayel earlier in the day, the party's representative Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi told reporters before the session that the Phalange does not intend to withdraw from the new cabinet and that the issue is not being considered.
“The discussions are positive and we don't want a confrontation,” he added.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq said ahead of the meeting that "consensus is possible and we have no other choice."
And as the rest of ministers admitted that there is “nothing new” before they entered the session, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammed Fneish – Hizbullah's representative -- said “the discussions have nothing to do with the debate with the president."
On Saturday, Hizbullah and Suleiman were at loggerheads over the president's recent statement concerning the cabinet's policy statement. Suleiman said Friday that the land, people and common values formed the country's “permanent equation,” describing the people-army-resistance equation as “wooden” or outdated.
Hizbullah was quick to hit back at Suleiman, accusing him on Saturday of not being able to differentiate between “what's golden and what's wooden.”
On Friday, the committee had failed to reach an agreement on the clause related to resisting Israel as the March 14 forces insisted on “the state's authority over everything.”
Prime Minister Tammam Salam has announced that his government's mission is combating terrorism and preparing for the upcoming presidential election.
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