Siniora Visits Berri in Bid to Defuse Internal Tensions
Therese Sfeir - 11/10/2006
Lebanon's prime minister met Tuesday with the Parliament speaker and the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon in an effort to ease tension among Lebanese politicians.
Premier Fouad Siniora visited Speaker Nabih Berri Tuesday at his residence in Ain al-Tineh to discuss the outcome of the latter's visit to Saudi Arabia, as well as other national issues, according to Berri's spokesperson.
Berri returned Monday from a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz and Deputy Prime Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdel-Aziz.
While Siniora's office declined to give an official statement on the 45-minute meeting with Berri, Siniora's spokesperson said that a "positive atmosphere" prevailed during their talks.
Siniora also met Tuesday with Saudi Ambassador Abdel-Aziz Khoja, with whom he discussed the outcome of Berri's visit to the kingdom.
A statement issued by the premier's office said that the talks focused on means to "resolve local pending problems through constructive dialogue," among other issues.
Siniora held separate talks Tuesday with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's representative to Lebanon, Geir Pedersen, before meeting with the new Italian ambassador, Gabriele Checchia.
In another development, President Emile Lahoud criticized the current government, alleging that it "does not represent major Lebanese factions and is hence unable to make national consensus decisions and face political and economic challenges ahead." Lahoud made the remarks during an interview with the Kuwaiti-based Al-Anbaa newspaper published on Tuesday,
After meeting Tuesday with Beirut Archbishop Elias Aoude, March 14 Forces MP Akram Chehayeb welcomed Saudi mediation, saying the kingdom "has always supported Lebanon and has not offered anything but good to the country."
"Berri was playing an efficient role in resolving pending problems and easing political tension," he added.
Chehayeb said resolving the issue of Hizbullah's weapons "would pave the way for building a strong state."
Chehayeb, who is a member of MP Walid Jumblatt's parliamentary bloc, has repeatedly called for the disarmament of Hizbullah, which the bloc accuses of supporting Syrian and Iranian interests.
Separately, pro-Syrian former Premier Omar Karami made a surprise visit Tuesday to Damascus, where he met Syrian President Bashar Assad and Vice President Farouk Sharaa.
Following his meetings, Karami repeated his call for a national unity Cabinet, saying "this government cannot deal with the challenges" and must resign.
On Monday, Karami had said that Berri's visit was aimed at forcing Saudi officials to live up to what he called their responsibilities toward Lebanon.
Labor Minister Tarrad Hamadeh, a Hizbullah ally, said Tuesday that Berri's visit to Saudi Arabia "was necessary to encourage the divided Lebanese parties to return to dialogue."
As for the state of relations between Hizbullah and the Future Movement, which drastically deteriorated during the recent 34-day war with Israel, Hamadeh said: "Like any relation between political parties, the relationship between Hizbullah and the Future Movement has its ups and downs."
"But now we should try to agree with each other and return to peaceful dialogue," added Hamadeh.
Former President Amin Gemayel reiterated his calls for early presidential elections during an interview Tuesday with Al-Anbaa magazine.
He also accused Free Patriotic leader MP Michel Aoun of "forging a quartet with Hizbullah, Damascus and Tehran."
Also Tuesday, Gemayel received former Prime Minister Salim Hoss, who stressed afterward the "need to find quick solutions to overcome the difficulties" that resulted from the war with Israel.
A delegation from the Lebanese Forces paid a visit Tuesday to Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir in Bkirki.
A statement issued afterward by the LF delegation praised the prelate's "national stands and his efforts to consolidate Lebanon's freedom and independence."
The Council of Maronite Bishops issued a statement last month criticizing calls made by Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement to create a national unity Cabinet.
Sfeir has been accused by several pro-Syrian figures of siding with parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri.
Tourism Minister Joe Sarkis, who is also an LF member, said Tuesday during a television interview with TeleLiban that a Cabinet change "cannot take place at this time because the current government has many responsibilities to assume, including the creation of an international tribunal to try former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassins."
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