March 14 meeting with Rai opens new page in relations with Bkirki

An icebreaking meeting between a delegation of March 14 Christian politicians and Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai in Bkirki Friday opened a new page in relations between the two sides that were strained over Rai’s political stances on local and regional issues. Former President Amin Gemayel, leader of the Kataeb Party, described the meeting with Rai as “very cordial,” saying it paved the way for a constructive dialogue that would eventually lead to serving the interests of the politically divided Maronite community. Bsharri MP Strida Geagea, of the Lebanese Forces, hailed the meeting as “historic.” “The meeting was serious and very cordial. We hope that it will set for a new stage in which all of us can meet and unite on principles that can protect Lebanon,” Gemayel told reporters after emerging from the meeting before its conclusion. “Today’s meeting has opened the door for a constructive and cordial dialogue that will lead to the desired results.” He said the meeting, which followed months of tension between the two sides over the patriarch’s controversial political stances on the turmoil in Syria and Hezbollah’s arms, was “important and constructive in the interests of the country and Lebanese peace and internal stability.” Describing the rift between the March 14 parties and Bkirki as “a passing summer cloud,” Gemayel said: “We should all be in agreement on the means to pull the country out of its present quagmire. We spoke about Hezbollah’s arms, as well as what is needed for national unity and sovereignty. As we know, national unity is threatened by the presence of Hezbollah’s arms.” He added that the 16-month-old uprising in Syria and its repercussions on Lebanon were also discussed. “What we heard today [Friday] has reassured us. The patriarch affirmed his stance, which is [based on] partnership and love. We’re back to the correct path and communications. The summer cloud has vanished,” Gemayel said. He added that the March 14 delegation discussed with Rai “a set of concerns, including our approach to the issue of the government, which does not exist.” Rai and Christian leaders have repeatedly raised the issue of appointments of Christians in the public administration where hundreds of key posts are vacant and waiting to be filled by the government. In addition to Gemayel and Geagea, the March 14 delegation included Batroun MP Butros Harb, Chouf MP Dory Chamoun, head of the National Liberal Party, and former lawmakers Nayla Mouawad, Camille Ziadeh and Fares Soueid. The one-hour meeting was also attended by Rai’s aides, Maronite bishops Samir Mazloum and Boulos Sayegh. Besides the divisive issue of Hezbollah’s arms, the talks also covered the country’s political and economic crisis, the patriarch’s political stances that sparked a controversy within the Christian community, and proposals for an election law, a March 14 source told The Daily Star. “The meeting was a breakthrough in ties between Bkirki and March 14 leaders. The two sides have agreed to continue meetings,” the source said. Relations between Rai and March 14 leaders had soured since the patriarch made controversial statements on the popular uprisings sweeping the Arab world and defended Hezbollah’s arms. In an interview with Reuters, Rai warned earlier this year that violence and bloodshed were turning the Arab Spring into a winter, and that the violence was threatening Christians and Muslims alike across the Middle East. In response to Rai, LF leader Samir Geagea said he opposed any patriarch that defends the Syrian regime. Previous statements by Rai on Syria have also stirred controversy. During an official visit to France last year, Rai said Syrian President Bashar Assad should have been given a chance to carry out reform in Syria and voiced concern over the fate of Christians in the region should a civil war break out between Alawites and Sunnis. Although Geagea did not attend the meeting, his wife Strida did. She praised the meeting as “historic” and welcomed the patriarch’s receptiveness to the March 14 members’ points of view. “It was a historic meeting. I was very surprised at how open [Rai] was and how he respected everyone’s views,” she told reporters. In an implicit call on the patriarch to avoid taking sides on local and regional issues, Geagea said the March 14 delegation frankly told Rai that Bkirki, because of its national standing, should remain distant from “all conflicts and disputes in this critical political phase through which the Middle East region, namely Lebanon, is passing.” Geagea said the delegation will prepare a memorandum detailing the stances of March 14 Christians on developments in the region and Lebanon and that the document would be presented to Rai. She added that the delegation would hold another “heart-to-heart” meeting with the patriarch. For his part, Harb said the meeting eliminated “confusion and misunderstanding” between Bkirki and March 14 Christians. “Today’s meeting is the beginning of a new stage in relations between us and his Beatitude and Bkirki. I think that it is abnormal for relations to remain as they were. It’s our duty to try to bring matters back to their normal course,” Harb told reporters after the meeting. He said the talks were was dominated by “frankness, objectivity, love and understanding. “The meeting constitutes the first step on a long road of cooperation which we hope will be filled with roses and joint cooperation and work for the benefit of Lebanon and the Christians in Lebanon,” Harb added. Harb said that following clarifications by the patriarch, some statements attributed to him were incorrect. “Following our discussion with the patriarch, it turned out that we are in agreement on principles,” he said. He added that the March 14 delegation would remain in contact with Rai in the interests of Lebanon. Soueid, the coordinator of the March 14 Secretariat-General, said that Lebanon was experiencing “a very delicate situation” as a result of the fast-moving developments in Syria and the Arab world. Denying that there was any personal dispute with Rai, Soueid told reporters after the meeting: “We have our own view on the ongoing events. The main reason for coming [to Bkirki] today [Friday] is that this region and this country are passing through an extremely difficult and complicated stage which might have definite repercussions on Lebanon. “It’s not an issue of elections, or March 14 and 8,” he added. The Daily Star .