Lebanon’s Presidency Considers Calling National Dialogue if Govt Crisis Persists

Head of Lebanon’s Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil has recently called on President Michel Aoun to hold a national dialogue, amid severe disputes over the formation of a new government.

Sources close to the president said that dialogue was one of the options on the table if the government deadlock continued, adding: “But no decision has been taken so far in this regard; the idea is being discussed and assessed because the priority now is to form a government.”

“If it became clear that it was impossible to speed up the formation process, then it would be better to engage in dialogue and set a specific date for it,” the sources remarked.

However, the Mustaqbal Movement, Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and Lebanese Forces all agree that national dialogue would be pointless in the cabinet formation efforts.

Deputy leader of Mustaqbal Mustafa Alloush said he supported dialogue in general, but added that based on previous experiences, such option would not be fruitful “because everyone comes to speak, but no one listens to the other.”

“The priority today is not for dialogue, but to form a salvation government and stop the collapse; only then would it be possible to call for dialogue or even discuss dissolving parliament to hold new elections, because the electoral law needs dialogue, just like any constitutional amendment,” Alloush told Asharq Al-Awsat.

PSP MP Hadi Abu Al-Hassan said: “In principle, we always support the call for any dialogue with Lebanese parties to find solutions to crises. However, if the goal of the dialogue today is to form a government, then we will not support it because we believe that this issue must be resolved between Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri according to the constitution.”

Lebanese Forces MP Fadi Saad reaffirmed his party’s demand for the need to hold early parliamentary elections.

On the other hand, Speaker Nabih Berri’s Development and Liberation bloc has expressed support to holding a national dialogue.

MP Yassine Jaber told a television interview: “What is required today is an initiative by the President of the Republic to hold a serious discussion in the country.”

Addressing Aoun, Jaber said: “Mr. President, the country is drowning, and you have to call for a dialogue.”