Hizbullah Bloc Slams Parties Trying to 'Sabotage' Dialogue, Hails Security Forces

Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc on Thursday accused rival political parties of seeking to “sabotage” the national dialogue sessions that are being held under Speaker Nabih Berri's sponsorship, as it hailed the anti-terror efforts of the army and security forces.

“The ongoing national dialogue under Speaker Nabih Berri's responsible sponsorship is a source of confidence for all Lebanese, who hope that it will be able to put the country on the track of stability and solutions,” said the Loyalty to Resistance bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

“This dialogue remains the available opportunity for agreeing on appropriate political solutions regarding the presidency, the drafting of a fair electoral law, and the revival of the State,” the bloc added.

It also hoped there will be enough “seriousness and credibility” in order to “quickly reach an understanding that puts an end to the presidential void and allows the reactivation of state institutions.”

The bloc, however, expressed “extreme regret that some parties are trying to shun the course of responsible solutions through launching malicious, deliberate statements that are only aimed at sabotage, provocation and discord.”

Separately, Loyalty to Resistance expressed “relief” over the performance of all security and military institutions, especially “in their efforts of pursuing takfiri terrorists and protecting the country and citizens from their evils and crimes.”

Three consecutive days of national dialogue in Ain el-Tineh have failed to make any breakthrough in the current political stalemate, while new reform-related issues have surfaced, such as the creation of a senate and the implementation of administrative decentralization, which both were stipulated by the 1989 Taef Accord.

Berri has scheduled a new dialogue session for September 5.

Prior to the consecutive dialogue sessions, the speaker had proposed a so-called “package deal” involving parliamentary elections under a new electoral law before electing a new president and forming a new government.

Should the parties fail to agree on a new law, the parliament's current extended term would be curtailed and the elections would be held under the 1960 law which is currently in effect, Berri says.

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.

The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid argue that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.