Dialogue efforts hasten as Nader Hariri returns

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Dialogue efforts hasten as Nader Hariri returns
Hussein Dakroub| The Daily Star/Dec. 02, 2014

BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri is waiting for agenda proposals from Hezbollah and the Future Movement to set a final date for starting a dialogue between the two rival parties, sources following up the dialogue process said Monday.

In a development signaling an acceleration of dialogue efforts, Nader Hariri, chief of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s staff, returned to Beirut Monday from Paris after consultations with the head of the Future Movement on topics to be discussed with Hezbollah.

Nader Hariri and Future MP Jamal Jarrah will represent the Future Movement in the dialogue, while Hezbollah will be represented by Hussein Khalil, a political aide to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and a party lawmaker, probably MP Hassan Fadlallah.

“The two sides have shown positive readiness for dialogue. Each side is preparing its own list of priorities and topics to be discussed during the dialogue sessions,” a source familiar with the dialogue process told The Daily Star.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, expected the first round of talks between the Future Movement and Hezbollah to be held in the middle of this month at Berri’s residence in Ain al-Tineh.

MP Ayoub Humayed, from Berri’s parliamentary bloc, said he saw a good chance of success for the planned dialogue, since Hezbollah and the Future Movement had agreed to exclude contentious issues from the agenda of their talks.

“Efforts are ongoing to launch this dialogue without preconditions. Holding dialogue is a positive development in itself. One of the main goals of this dialogue is to reduce sectarian tensions and address issues that concern the people,” Humayed told The Daily Star.

Relations between the Future Movement and Hezbollah have been strained by the Shiite party’s military intervention in Syria, its arsenal and its rejection of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. These three key divisive issues are not on the dialogue agenda.

Future MP Ammar Houri sounded optimistic about the launch of dialogue between his party and Hezbollah, and the two sides are preparing their proposals for the agenda.

“Matters are headed toward the launch of the dialogue soon,” Houri told The Daily Star.

Asked about his expectations from this long-awaited dialogue between the Future Movement and Hezbollah, which is deemed crucial for reducing Sunni-Shiite tensions, he said: “[Former] Prime Minister Saad Hariri has outlined the mission of the dialogue: first, the presidential election, second, defusing Sunni-Shiite tensions and third, a new electoral law.”

Hariri said in a TV interview last week that he was ready for a serious dialogue with Hezbollah with the aim of defusing Sunni-Shiite tensions. He also said he was ready to discuss the presidency issue with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad said Berri held the key to setting a final date for the Hezbollah-Future talks. “We have to move on in a positive way toward the expected dialogue between the Future Movement and Hezbollah,” Fayyad said.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam, currently on a visit to Brussels, expressed hope that the Future-Hezbollah talks would be in Lebanon’s interest.

“Dialogue is useful for Lebanon,” Salam told reporters on the plane that flew him to Brussels. “Everyone acknowledges that problems can be solved through dialogue, which is essential among the political parties because the absence of dialogue leads to many problems.

“It is certain that the dialogue will include in-depth discussion on the issue of the presidential and parliamentary elections and matters that can bring Lebanon back to the right path toward further security.”

The Kataeb Party welcomed the planned Future-Hezbollah talks, saying an inter-Lebanese dialogue would nullify the need to search for a regional or external agreement to break the presidential deadlock.

“A possible direct dialogue between the Future Movement and Hezbollah is a stabilizing factor following the recent clashes in the north region,” the party said in a statement following its weekly meeting. “It is a prelude to a comprehensive national dialogue, for which the Kataeb command has previously called.”