Ground Report

Lebanon‘s Parliament held on Friday its first session in 22 months to discuss the new government’s policy statement in preparation for giving the 30-member national unity cabinet a vote of confidence. The vote is not likely to take place until early next week, as 65 lawmakers are expected to deliver speeches during the Parliament sessions.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri opened the session at 6 p.m., expressing hope that the rival March 14 and March 8 blocs would join efforts to achieve Lebanon‘s best interest.

Berri then asked Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to read the draft ministerial statement before Parliament.

MPs Walid Jumblatt, Mohammad Raad, Saad Hariri, Talal Arslan, Michel Pharon, Henry Helou and Bassem al-Shab were recorded absent.

Siniora read out most of the draft statement, which was approved by the Cabinet on Monday, but skimmed over the latter portions in a bid to save time, thus allowing lawmakers to start delivering their scheduled speeches.

After reading the statement, Siniora said that the government was about to face many challenges in the near future. "We have to reunite the people and win their trust in order to face future challenges," he said.

The prime minister also stressed the need to ensure the security of all Lebanese citizens.

"Lebanese people need security … they cannot afford more risks, nor can they tolerate internal strife," he said before leaving the floor to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.

Aoun started his speech by stressing the need to maintain more than one form of defense against "continuous" Israeli threats. "The Lebanese army is about classical warfare, while the resistance is about guerrilla warfare … both could be forms of defense, but one form cannot replace the other," he said.

Aoun voiced his reservation on paragraph 24 of the draft statement, which recognizes "the right of Lebanon‘s people, armed forces, and resistance to liberate or reclaim the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, Kafar Shuba Hills and the Lebanese section of Ghajar village, and defend Lebanon using all legal and possible means."

Aoun criticized the division of Lebanon‘s right to liberate and defend itself into three categories. "The people, army and resistance are all one thing … we are all one entity in the face of any attack … we don’t have multi-identities," he said.

The retired general also complained about the use of the word "reclaim" in paragraph 24 when speaking about Lebanon‘s occupied territories.

"The proper word to be used is "liberate and not reclaim," Aoun said, adding that Lebanon should not demand that the occupied Shebaa Farms be put under UN custody.

"Putting the land under UN custody will solve part of but not the entire problem … therefore, we should demand that the Shebaa Farms be put only under Lebanese sovereignty."

Aoun moved on to address the issue of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, calling on all international and Arab parties to shoulder their responsibilities toward the Palestinians.

"The Palestinians were forced to leave their land as a result of an international resolution which legitimized the establishment of the state of Israel at the expense of Palestinian people," Aoun said."This means that all the international parties are all responsible for finding a solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees … It is unfair for a country like Lebanon to tolerate such burden on its own."

"The United States should grant the Palestinians access to their territory and allow them to live and work in the US, which was at the top of the list of countries that are responsible for establishing the state of Israel in 1948."

Speaking after Aoun, Deputy Speaker Farid Makari criticized "some parties possession of arms," hinting at Hizbullah without directly referring to it. Makari said that he wished the draft ministerial statement was "clearer" in addressing the issue of the resistance.

"Although the draft statement stresses the role and authority of the state, I believe that the Lebanese people deserve a clearer ministerial statement that leaves no space for different interpretations," he said. The deputy speaker also warned that the possession of arms by some parties was likely to have an effect on next year’s parliamentary elections. He also raised the issue of widespread security concerns, stressing that the Lebanese people were fed up with the fragile security situation.

Makari praised the draft statement for addressing the issues of missing Lebanese in Syrian jails and the fate of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.The ministerial statement pledges that the government will take the necessary measures to uncover the fate of missing Lebanese citizens.

As for the Palestinians, the statement reiterated Lebanon‘s rejection of the resettlement of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, as well as commitment to the right of such refugees to return to their homeland. MPs Mohammad Qabbani, Robert Ghanem, Nematallah Abi Nasr and several other lawmakers also delivered speeches in Friday’s session. The session ended at 10 p.m. and lawmakers are expected to reconvene for more speeches at 10.30 a.m. on Saturday.

Earlier on Friday, Siniora met with President Michel Sleiman at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. The two leaders reportedly discussed the new government’s policy statement ahead of the president’s scheduled visit to Damascus.

Sleiman is scheduled to visit Syria on Wednesday to discuss bilateral relations with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad. Also on Friday, Siniora told reporters after the noon prayer at the Grand Serail that he was glad to see Parliament reopen its doors after 22 months.

Parliament has not held regular sessions since October 2006. However, it last met on May 25 for the purpose of electing a new president.

Source: daily star Lebanon.