The Doha Lebanese Peace Talks -Arab League mediation

Monday, May 19, 2008

After 4 days of talks in Doha, it appears that there were positive developments and god willing conclude in an agreement among the parties concerned. Here we shall looked into the agreement achieved so far within the framework of the six points peace plan.

Qatar PM & Amr Mussa lead the talks

DELEGATION FROM OPPOSITION,

1. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri,

2. Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun,

3. Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad,

4. Popular Bloc MP Elie Skaff,

5. MP Hagop Pakradounian

are among the opposition delegates.

PRO US, GOVERNMENT DELEGATION

1. Fouad Siniora, Head of the un-constitutional government,

2. Saad al-Hariri, who leads the ruling bloc in parliament,

3. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea,

4. Phalanges Party leader Amin Gemayel and

5. Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt,

are among those from the government who are attending the talks.

The delegates at the Talks

The Doha talks was joined by Arab countries' delegates representing Qatar, Djibouti, Oman, Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, the UAE, Yemen, and Bahrain too. So is Arab League Secretary General, Amr Mussa

There was some hiccups on the first day of the meeting the meeting when the Pro US government delegates, acting on a US-Israeli-Saudi agenda, especially Saad al-Hariri had taken the opportunity to raise the issue of the Resistance arms again. Which was ruled out by the Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad and others in the opposition side, as non-negotiable and not part of the six points plan and so did the Organizing Host, PM of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani.

Hezbollah

Meanwhile interesting revelations were coming out from Israeli intelligence and US Senate, stating that the US Administration had given the green light for Israel to attack Beirut. Sources quoted that Saad al-Hariri was correctly expecting a back up attack from the Israel forces on the 11 hour on the 11 May 08. However at the speed of within four or five hours on that day where Hezbollah had defeated the Saad al-Hariri Security plus militia, while still manning and keeping up an alert force at the Southern front, give both Israel and the US a cold feet.

Six Points Peace plan

The agent provocateur, Saad al-Hiriri is in Doha. There is nobody in Lebanon willing to voice out words, that were create a sectarian schism. Walid Jumblatt is in Doha too. So peace is maintaining in Lebanon and three of the six points remains intact, the three points are listed first, and below is what have materialized in Doha, Qatar :-

1 Refrain from using weapons to advance political agendas

2 To engage in talks to establish the Sovereignty of Lebanon and a return to the pre ‘civil war’ status quo, before May 5.

3 Refrain from using language or provocations that will incite violence.

4. To elect a President.

All parties have agreed to the Army Chief Michel Suleiman to be elected as President. It is expected that he will be install as President in the next 3 days.

General Michel Suleiman

5 To Form a Unity Government

The delegates on both sides of the divide had agreed to a Unity formula where 16 cabinet posts will be taken by government side,11 posts taken by the opposition side and 3 posts will be appointed by the President in the future cabinet.

6 To Formulate a New Electoral Law or amend the existing law.

The conferees

The conferees agreed to a four or six man committee, equal amount from each side, to trash this out and come up with an all party agreed law. The opposition views that the pro US government proposals entails to give the government bloc an advantage in terms of constituencies expected won by them. On the other hand Hezbollah MP attempts to put up a standard method of aligning the constituency, which would be fair to both parties. Discussion on this point is still going on and expects to conclude within the next twenty-four hours The next election due next year, 2009.

Qatar PM wishes.

The Lebanese political leaders will not leave Doha before reaching an agreement. A delegate attending the meetings said that Qatar’s proposal on Sunday on the figuration of a unity government as a possible way out of the current crisis in Lebanon can be adopted while postponing the decision on the disputed electoral law. The Qatar PM has to leave them and be in Saudi Arabia for the GCC meeting on Tuesday.