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| 16/05/2008 So Lebanon's feuding leaders will meet in Qatar Friday to agree on forming a national unity government and endorsing a new electoral law for next year's elections. Both sides have already agreed on Army Commander General Michel Suleiman as a consensus candidate to head the state. These were in fact the three points of the Arab initiative that the ruling bloc had sought to implement one point at a time.
Meanwhile, life has returned to normal across Lebanon, especially after the opposition reopened all roads. The airport, the seaport, shops, businesses and schools have reopened amid presence of Lebanese army troops in the capital Beirut.
The head of the Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblatt paid a visit to former Minister Tala Areslan in Khalde south of Beirut. In a joint press conference Areslan thanked Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and Jumblatt for authorizing him to negotiate on their behalf (during last week's fighting) and stressed that Mount Lebanon "will always embrace the resistance." Jumblatt stressed that "we will not benefit from using arms. Khalde (Areslan HQ) is our home and Moukhtara (Jumblatt HQ) is home for Emir Talal Arslan. Together we assert that coexistence is possible with our Shiite brethren in Mount Lebanon.
The efforts of the nine Arab foreign ministers, and AL chief Amr Mussa, in the past 48 hours resulted in a six-point agreement to end the tense situation, on both political and security levels.
The Arab Ministerial Committee joined Foreign Ministers representing Qatar, Djibouti, Oman, Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, the UAE, Yemen, and Bahrain, The head of the Arab delegation Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad ben Jassem Al-Thani announced the Committee’s agreement in a press conference and reiterated support for the Arab initiative. He stressed that coordination with ruling bloc leaders and opposition leaders made the six-point a concrete agreement.
Under the deal, the rivals undertook to return things to what they were before May 5, 2008 and to refrain from using weapons.
It also stipulates that the Lebanese army must take charge of national security and civil peace.
Rivals also agreed that there must be agreement on returning to dialogue on the national-unity government and electoral law.
According to the deal, the opposition sit-in in downtown Beirut would be ended just as General Suleiman is elected as president. It also conditions that political leaders will end their use of political and sectarian incitement and accusations of treachery at once.
S.A, US WELCOME ARAB COMMITTEE DECISIONS, PRAISE LEBANESE ARMY POSITIVE ROLE
Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Abdul Aziz Khoja said that Riyadh blesses the agreement. “There was Arab consensus over supporting this committee and facilitating its mission,” Khoja told Al-Liwaa daily. “It is normal for Saudi Arabia to support the committee and its efforts,” he added.
US State Department Spokesman for Near East Affairs David Foley told the Kuwaiti daily Al-Ray that his country supports the Arab Ministerial Committee’s decisions.
He also noted the positive role played by the Lebanese army during last week’s military confrontations in Lebanon in protecting public institutions and political leaders.
For his part, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed joy that the situation in Lebanon has calmed down.
“The agreement that was reached under the auspices of the Arab League is a first step toward empowering the Lebanese army and security forces and preserving security in the country,” Steinmeier said.
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