FPM Delegation in Bkirki to ‘Contain’ Rai’s Call to Internationalize Lebanon’s Crisis

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai received a delegation from the FPM on Monday (Markaziah News Agency).
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai received a delegation from the FPM on Monday (Markaziah News Agency).
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FPM Delegation in Bkirki to ‘Contain’ Rai’s Call to Internationalize Lebanon’s Crisis

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai received a delegation from the FPM on Monday (Markaziah News Agency).
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai received a delegation from the FPM on Monday (Markaziah News Agency).

A delegation from the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) visited Bkirki on Monday, a day after Maronite Patriarch Beshara Al-Rai proposed “the internationalization of the Lebanese crisis.”

A parliamentary source in the FPM told Asharq Al-Awsat that the “unplanned” visit aimed at discussing the patriarch’s view on the formation of the new government and his recent proposal on holding an international conference for Lebanon under the auspices of the United Nations.

The source said the patriarch was informed of the FPM’s position on the government, revealing that should rapprochement be achieved between both sides then another meeting with al-Rai may be held, this time with the attendance of movement leader Gebran Bassil.

During Sunday mass, Rai demanded that Lebanon’s issue be raised at a special international conference, in the first call of its kind after the severe deterioration of the living and economic crises and the continuous failure to form a government.

“As a founding and committed member of the Arab League and the United Nations Organization, Lebanon – with its collapsing situation - necessitates that its case be brought up in an international conference sponsored by the UN, in a manner that would consolidate its modern constitutional frameworks based on the unity of the entity, system of neutrality and the provision of permanent guarantees that prevent any attempt to undermine its legitimacy,” Rai said.

Following the meeting, former minister Mansour Bteish said that talks focused on the need to form a salvation government of high credibility, in accordance with the terms of the French initiative.

He stressed that President Michel Aoun wanted the new government to be formed “as soon as possible”, stressing that Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri “must go to Baabda and consult with Aoun.”

In this context, the parliamentary source affirmed that the FPM “does not see the urgency to internationalize the crisis, as matters can be resolved and the government can be formed if the premier-designate showed more flexibility.”

“Hariri follows certain standards with all parties, and when the matter comes to the Christian ministers, he adopts other criteria,” the source emphasized.

On the other hand, a deputy from Hariri’s Mustaqbal bloc said the PM-designate has acted in accordance with the constitution, by providing the president with a ministerial lineup that included four ministers chosen from the list prepared by Aoun himself, with the possibility of amendment.

Hariri “is waiting for Aoun’s response. If he has any inquiries or matters to discuss in this regard, let him inform the premier-designate, and then the meeting will take place,” the source said.



Syria President Vows those Involved in Church Attack will Face Justice

The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP
The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP
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Syria President Vows those Involved in Church Attack will Face Justice

The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP
The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed Monday that those involved in a "heinous" suicide attack on a Damascus church a day earlier would face justice, calling for unity in the country.

The shooting and suicide bombing Sunday at the church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and wounded 63, the health ministry said, raising an earlier toll of 22 killed.

The authorities said the attacker was affiliated with the Islamic State group.

"We promise... that we will work night and day, mobilising all our specialized security agencies, to capture all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and to bring them to justice," Sharaa said in a statement, AFP reported.

The attack "reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity of the government and the people in facing all that threatens our nation's security and stability", he added.

Condemnation has continued to pour in from the international community after the attack -- the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.

It was also the first inside a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to a monitor, in a country where security remains one of the new authorities' greatest challenges.

Since the new authorities took power, the international community has repeatedly urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after sectarian violence in recent months.