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Abu Dhabi: Nayla Moawad, Minister for Social Affairs in Lebanon and member of the ruling March 14 Alliance, has urged Lebanese factions to unite and elect a new president.
In an exclusive interview, Moawad told Gulf News she and the ruling alliance have not yet agreed on any national dialogue prior to the election of a new president for the country, as suggested by Nabih Berri, speaker of parliament.
She warned that Lebanon will lose out if the election of a new president is delayed further.
Moawad, wife of assassinated President René Moawad, who was killed in a car explosion in November 1989, said she was anxiously awaiting the launch of the international tribunal probing the assassination of Rafik Hariri, previous prime minister, and some of his comrades.
She said in the interview Lebanese should live in peace and harmony, without interference from outside powers.
She said she wished the world had stood up against political assassinations in her country long ago, when her husband was killed some 19 years ago.
President Moawad was killed 17 days after he was elected president, following the signing of the Al Taif Agreement that ended the civil war in Lebanon.
"If the world had stood up against the assassination of President Moawad, Lebanon and the region would have been a much safer place to live in than it is now. We could have saved the lives of Hariri and his comrades in February 2003," she added.
Following is the text of the interview:
Gulf News: What is the position of the March 14 Alliance regarding the proposal made by Nabih Berri, speaker of parliament, to invite the leaders of both the majority and the opposition to the negotiating table before electing a new president?
Nayla Moawad: First of all, the Lebanese, including the majority bloc and the opposition, have all agreed on an Arab initiative regarding Lebanon, proposing a solution to the political deadlock since the presidential post became vacant in November last year.
The initiative suggested electing a new president, who will then take care of forming a new government, where the majority will not be allowed to pass major legislation; and the minority will not be able to let the government fall.
This can be achieved through a precise formula for the government that the president needs to approve. Any dialogue now to discuss the issue of the government is a waste of time and undermines the authority of the president.
On the other hand, we in Lebanon have no problem with meeting each other and discussing our issues in a civilised manner.
But Berri is not the right person to take care of any national dialogue because he was the one who blocked MPs from convening to elect a new president. He hijacked parliament to serve his interests as a factional leader.
In your opinion, what is the way out of this deadlock in Lebanon? What are the tools available to the ruling alliance other than just speaking to the opposition?
After the Arab Summit in Damascus last month, it became clear to everybody in the Arab world and elsewhere that the Lebanese problem is not a problem of internal dialogue among local factions.
It is the blunt interference by Syria, I mean the Syrian regime, in Lebanon in addition to the money, the arms and the fighters from Iran. This became very obvious after the Arab Summit.
The Lebanese believe the solution to their problem with Syria is an Arab responsibility. That is why the March 14 Alliance relies on an Arab solution to bring an end to Syrian interference in Lebanon.
In my opinion, the Saudi representative at the summit made the issue of Lebanon very clear in the mind of every Arab person.
The summit said it did not discuss the Lebanese issue because Lebanon was absent, as your government boycotted the summit?
The Lebanese issue was the most discussed topic at the summit in Damascus. That is what the media said and that is how political analysts from different parts of the Arab world described the meetings.
We, the majority bloc, believe in good relations with Syria. We strongly believe in that, because it is part of the geography, the economy and the history of the region. We like Syrian people and we feel that Lebanon can complement Syria the way Syria is complementing Lebanon.
Everything you said will be good to ensure stability in the region, but how can you achieve your goals? Do you think the Arab initiative can be enforced in Lebanon?
We, the majority, are focused on the implementation of the Arab initiative. Arabs have come to a clear understanding of the Lebanese issue. We are awaiting the outcome of the upcoming Arab foreign ministers' meeting to clarify the issue, and to put their initiative into practice.
The Arab League has no mechanism to put its initiatives into practice. Do you think the international community should interfere in order to enforce a solution in Lebanon?
We still support the Arab solution. The majority of Arabs are clear about what is good for Lebanon. I think Arabs are really clear for the first time regarding the situation in Lebanon and we, the March 14 Alliance, are very satisfied with the unanimous understanding of the Lebanese issue on the Arab level.
International interference is not going to help Lebanon. Nevertheless, international support to ensure stability in Lebanon is crucial and we cannot enjoy our stability without it.
We in Lebanon are committed to the UN resolutions related to different issues in the country, including the government control of all arms in Lebanon, according to the Security Council resolution no 1701.
Would the above tactics solve the deadlock better than the proposed dialogue?
We have no option but to stand by our cause and be patient to resolve the issue. The majority is advancing very well in its efforts to unite more Lebanese under our banner. Believe me, the opposition is eroding day by day and we are getting stronger with the extra support we have gathered in the past two months.
Even if you have to wait for years before electing a new president?
The people of Lebanon in general and supporters of the March 14 Alliance in particular are aware that we are on the right track and they know also that it is not easy to achieve our goals.
We need to work harder and explain our issue properly, and to create better understanding of the true nature of the conflict in the region.
Don't you think that people are becoming more fed up with the economic situation in Lebanon and they want to move forward, even if this means forgetting about the international tribunal looking into the Rafik Hariri case?
This is not true. I must admit that there is some division among Lebanese people and especially among Christians.
Lebanese are not keen to see an international tribunal only looking into the Hariri assasination. They want the court to be a more permanent feature in a country that has a sound legal system to prevent similar further crimes.
I myself want to see a legal system in Lebanon that is capable of investigating the murder of my husband, Rene Moawad, eighth president of Lebanon.
I wish the world had stood up together with Lebanon at the time of President Moawad's assasination. That could have stopped the series of assassinations since then, including the murder of Hariri.
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