Consultative Gathering bloc will withhold decision on participation in a national dialogue until Aoun schedules the talks

BEIRUT — Consultative Gathering bloc member MP Faisal Karami said Wednesday after meeting with President Michel Aoun that his bloc will take the “right stance” on whether to participate in a national dialogue called for by the president as and when the latter schedules the dialogue, the presidency’s twitter account reported.

Here’s what we know:

    • On Dec. 27, Aoun called for an “urgent national dialogue” to address three issues: expanded administrative and financial decentralization, a defense strategy to protect Lebanon and a financial and economic recovery plan that includes essential reforms and the equitable distribution of financial sector losses.

    • Joined by fellow Consultative Gathering bloc members MPs Walid Sukkarieh, Abdel-Rahim Mrad and Adnan Traboulsi in a visit to the Presidential Palace to discuss the national dialogue, Karami said, “When President Aoun calls for the dialogue, we will take the right stance on whether to participate or not.” Karami also said that his bloc advocates for discussion “especially in these times that the country is going through.”

    • The Consultative Gathering bloc was formed after the 2018 parliamentary elections and is made up of Sunni MPs opposed to the Future Movement headed by Saad Hariri.

    • Yesterday, Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, headed by Mohammad Raad, announced that it is “in support” of the national dialogue called for by the president.

    • The leader of the Lebanese Democratic Party Talal Arslan also announced Tuesday that he will participate in the dialogue. “The country is going through a systemic crisis and we will participate in the dialogue,” Arslan said via his Twitter account.

    • However, after meeting with Aoun in Baabda on Tuesday, Sleiman Frangieh, the head of Marada Movement, a Christian party that is close to Hezbollah, announced that his party will not participate in Aoun’s proposed dialogue. “We are people of dialogue, but it should be between two sides and not one, so we wished them good luck and we will not participate in the dialogue.” Frangieh said.

    • Hariri also announced on Jan. 7 that he does not want to participate in a dialogue because such a conference “should take place after the parliamentary elections.” Parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 15.