Sleiman: Dialogue needed to spare Lebanon tragedies

President Michel Sleiman reiterated Friday his call for rival leaders to engage in dialogue aimed at resolving the government crisis. “Sleiman urged Lebanese on this occasion to rise above the wounds and have some faith, repeating his call for everyone to engage in dialogue to spare Lebanon more tragedies,” according to his press office. Sleiman has launched consultations with the country’s main political leaders to resolve the government crisis in the wake of last week’s assassination of a top intelligence chief in a Beirut car bombing. Over the weekend, Prime Minister Najib Mikati suspended his decision to resign and said he gave Sleiman time to consult the National Dialogue Committee to look into the matter. In response to the assassination of Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hasan last week, the opposition March 14 alliance, which blames President Bashar Assad for the killing, called on the government to resign, accusing it of providing cover for the crime. Earlier this week, the opposition decided to boycott parliamentary work and called for peaceful protests and sit-ins to pressure the government to resign. The Friday car bombing in the Beirut neighborhood of Ashrafieh, the first of its magnitude since 2008, has thrown the country into a political crisis as the international and Arab communities throw their support behind Sleiman, calling for stability in the country. In his address Friday, Sleiman also said “Lebanon as a whole remembers during this Eid [al-Adha holiday] the painful periods that it has gone though as well as the recent criminal attack that led to the martyrdom of Lebanese citizens and material losses.” Separately on his Twitter feed, the president urged Lebanese on the occasion of Eid al-Adha to unite in order to expose the perpetrators behind the killings that have plagued the country. “On the occasion of this holy Eid [al-Adha], let us remember our martyrs and come together to expose the perpetrators of crimes and stop the chain of deaths and tragedy,” Sleiman said. He added that unity would help build a homeland for generations to come. In his statement Friday, Sleiman also mentioned Syria and expressed hope the cease-fire agreed on by rebel fighters and the government would pave the way for dialogue aimed at resolving the 20-month crisis that has left thousands dead. “[Sleiman] hoped that the holiday's cease-fire will be a start to end the violence as a prelude for dialogue between all rivals and the return of Syrian refugees to their homes and livelihoods,” his press office quoted him as saying. From DailyStar