'There will be an agreement between all parties' before Friday, says Sayyed

BEIRUT — Social Affairs Minister Hanin Sayyed said Monday, during a meeting with the Grand Mufti of the Republic, Abdellatif Derian, that it is "important for the state to impose its authority over the entire Lebanese territory," adding that she believes there will be "an agreement between all parties" before and during Friday's Cabinet session dedicated to the monopoly on arms.

Cabinet is due to convene Friday at 3 p.m. at Baabda Presidential Palace to review the plan prepared by the army, which aims to allow the state to regain the monopoly on weapons, and therefore disarm Hezbollah as well as other militias and Palestinian camps.

The government had commissioned the army on Aug. 5 to prepare this disarmament plan, before approving the "Barrack plan" two days later.

This document also includes a component regarding the arms monopoly, among other recovery measures, in exchange for a halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanon and a withdrawal from the remaining occupied territories in the South.

On Monday, President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met to also discuss the "preparations" for Friday's Cabinet meeting and "the situation in the country."

More details about today's Aoun-Salam meeting

Aoun and Salam meet in Baabda ahead of crucial week for disarmament

Hezbollah is categorically opposed to any disarmament and advocates "dialogue," much like its ally, Amal Movement leader and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

On Sunday, Berri launched a new "initiative" to discuss the issue of Hezbollah's arsenal. Nevertheless, officials from Hezbollah have been taking increasingly hardline positions, even raising the possibility of street protests.

During her meeting with Mufti Derian, Sayyed also mentioned various contacts with Sunni-affiliated organizations, such as the Islamic Orphanage, the Makassed educational association, and the social institutions of Dr. Mohammad Khaled.

"I care deeply about them and, since we joined the ministry, we have started working to strengthen these partnerships," she said. She also discussed the Aman program (a social safety net funded by the World Bank) "which helps 800,000 of the poorest Lebanese families."

She announced the upcoming reopening of registration for families. "We also discussed the social centers in Beirut that we will be strengthening, and the opening of a new center to replace the one we had to close in Tarik el-Jdidé. This will be a model center offering all social services and health care, and its inauguration will take place soon," she said.

In August, a social center dependent on the Social Affairs Ministry was closed for financial reasons. On Aug.14, a sit-in was held in front of the ministry to protest the closure.