18/01/2011 Beirut witnesses on Tuesday a series of consultations as top Turkish and Qatari officials are expected to hold talks with Lebanese officials, as Hezbollah source says that anything may happen after the indictment in the 2005 assassination case of former Premier Rafiq Hariri is announced.
In an interview with As-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper published on Tuesday, Hezbollah source said that the party is watching closely the developments of the tribunal’s work in The Hague.
“After the indictment is issued, matters will take their course accordingly … the post-indictment phase will not be like the pre-indictment one at all.”
The STL on Monday announced that tribunal Prosecutor-General Daniel Bellemare has submitted the draft indictment for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to STL Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen.
For his part, Speaker Nabih Berri announced the death of the former Syrian-Saudi settlement, saying to As-Safir that the opposition’s decision, whereby the pre-indictment period is different from the post-indictment one, has come into force as of yesterday afternoon.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s government collapsed Wednesday after the national opposition pulled its 10 ministers from cabinet and one minister close to President Michel Sleiman announced his withdrawal, providing the necessary number of resignations for the government to fall.
QATARI, TURKISH ENVOYS IN BEIRUT
Lebanese daily an-Nahar reported on Tuesday that Qatari PM Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu are to visit Beirut Tuesday to brief officials and other figures involved on the results of Damascus tripartite summit in which Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Monday over the Lebanese crisis.
An-Nahar has learned last night that officials were informed of Davutoglu’s arrival in Beirut at 9.45 a.m. today followed by the Qatari premier at 10.45 a.m.
The Turkish and Qatari officials will first meet with President Michel Sleiman, followed by Speaker Nabih Berri, PM Saad Hariri and a high-ranking Hezbollah official.
Following the summit on Monday, Assad, Erdogan and the Qatari Emir called for finding a solution to the Lebanese crisis based on “the Syrian-Saudi good offices.”
The Lebanese daily as-Safir’s correspondent in Damascus said that the tripartite summit meeting emphasized once again the importance of the Syrian-Saudi initiative as a means to achieve a consensus solution in Lebanon. At the same time, the summit reportedly hailed the postponement of the parliamentary consultations to nominate a new prime minister.
Yesterday, Lebanese President delayed parliamentary consultations to designate a new PM, which were due on Monday, till next week.
COMING CONSULTATIONS
As-Safir reported that Damascus is expected to witness a series of consultations in the next few days between Lebanese leaders and the Syrian leadership. These meetings are to start today with LAF Commander General Jean Kahwaji’s meeting with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
The daily has learned that contacts will extend on a broader spectrum in the coming days and are set to include the leaders of other states, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and France, which once again stressed its proposal to form an international contact committee.
As-Safir also reported that the Saudi cabinet warned political forces in Lebanon against the dangers of strife and trouble following the fall of the Lebanese cabinet against a backdrop of the crisis over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
The Lebanese daily al-Akhbar, reported that Assad discussed with his Turkish and Qatari guests the details of the events that occurred over the past period, and briefed them on the complete picture.
JUMBLATT AND PM NOMINATION
Al-Akhbar quoted sources in Beirut’s southern suburb reported that during their latest meeting, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah did not ask MP Walid Jumblatt anything with regard to voting alongside the opposition [in the premiership consultations].
Sources in Damascus asserted that Assad did not make any such requests to Jumblatt either; rather, they said, Jumblatt volunteered to say that he will not take part in any monochromatic cabinet, i.e. any cabinet headed by PM Hariri in which the opposition is not taking part.
18/01/2011 Lebanon Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri mourned the death of the Syrian-Saudi initiative adding that the pre-indictment phase would differ from the post-indictment phase.
In an interview with As-Safir newspaper published on Tuesday, Berri said that Prime Minister Saad Hariri erred in not announcing his commitment to the terms of the Syria-Saudi initiative.
Berri expressed astonishment at the comparison between the circumstances of his election as Parliament Speaker and Hariri’s assignment as the Prime Minister that was echoed by Future movement MPs and hinted by the President of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt. He also condemned March 14 coalition statements that implied that Hariri is the only Sunni representative for the premiership.
“Does Omar Karami, who was appointed as the country’s premier several times in the past, not represent the Sunnis in Lebanon?” Berri asked.
The speaker said that March 8 ministers had no other option but to resign last week, in a bid to change the status quo. “The opposition has mourned the death of the Saudi-Syrian [initiative to end the Lebanese impasse]… New negotiations should be launched to settle on a new compromise.”
Berri wondered at the behavior of the US Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly whom Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Shami summoned Monday for interfering in Lebanese internal affairs.
“I dare anyone to prove that Syrian and Iranian ambassadors to Lebanon are interfering in the country’s domestic affairs,” Berri said when asked to respond to those questioning why Shami does not summon Damascus and Tehran’s ambassadors as he did to Connelly.
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
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