by Paul Dakiki

Amr Moussa might be back in Beirut on Monday. An overall agreement for a national unity government and an international tribunal into the Hariri assassination would entail “neutral members” in both bodies. The question though is who would pick them.

Beirut (AsiaNews) – Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa is likely to resume his mediation efforts on Monday. Last night he spoke of “progress” and “good ground for understanding”.

After three days of talks he said he would be back to the Lebanese capital "in a few days" to continue meetings with Lebanese leaders on a package deal to resolve the political deadlock.

He said the principals had agreed on a unity government, but added that various parties were looking for "guarantees."

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora would include 30 ministers up from 24. The anti-Syrian coalition would be given 19 ministers, while the opposition would receive 10, short of their demand for veto power, or one third of the body. A "neutral" minister would hold the balance.

Sudanese presidential envoy Mustafa Othman Ismail, working with the Arab League to broker a deal, said the stumbling block was over who would name the neutral minister.

Moussa said he had a proposal concerning the creation of the international tribunal that would look into the 2005 Hariri assassination and other political murders that occurred in the last two years. The government, backed by the United Nations, wants any agreement between majority and opposition to include the formation of such an international body.

The opposition’s position is more complicated. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is not against it in principle but other pro-Syrian leaders, who are thought to be involved in the crimes, are silent whereas Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, also not out of the loop, is resisting it.

The tribunal is for some the real issue dividing majority and opposition. For Moussa, a joint six-member committee should be set up to look into the draft of the international tribunal. The committee would include two neutral judges, two representatives of the majority and two representatives of the opposition and would submit its report to the unity government.

The United Nations new secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, has said that he, too, is in favour of the creation of the tribunal.

The few days before Moussa’s return would be a cooling-off period allowing the parties to negotiate behind closed doors. In the meantime the opposition continues its street rallies as Prime Minister Fouad Siniora flies to Moscow.

For his part, majority leader Saad Hariri said that the issue of the tribunal can be voted by parliament. If its speaker, Shia Babih Berri, does not convene it, a quorum of 65 MPs can do it.

 

• lebanon
• amr
• moussa
• arab
• league
• negotiations
• hariri
• assassination
• hezbollah