March 14 Forces opens workshop to address Taif

by **Admin** Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:29 am

The
pro-government March 14 Forces launched a workshop on Sunday,
addressing the issue of "the Taif Accord and the conditions of building
a modern state in Lebanon."

The workshop is the first among several that resulted from the March 14 Forces' first convention last month.

March
14 Forces member and former MP Fares Soueid said the workshop discussed
the camp's political declaration, which was announced during last
month's convention.

"The
declaration was subject to some criticism from within the March 14 camp
and this is only normal as we said from day one that the political
declaration was open to discussion," Soueid said.

The
former lawmaker added that the criticism focused on two issues; the
idea brought up by the declaration about the existence of two different
cultures in Lebanon, as well as the issue of the alleged
Israeli-Iranian hidden alliance, as stated in the declaration.

Soueid
explained that the March 14 Forces were told that speaking of two
cultures in Lebanon implied that it was impossible for the feuding
parties to reach a settlement.

He did not elaborate on the Israeli-Iranian issue.

Soueid's statement was followed by a closed meeting that focused on the workshop's main subject of discussion.

Other than Soueid, the workshop was also attended by March 14 lawmakers Samir Franjieh and Mustafa Allouch.

Other
workshops will touch on Lebanese-Syrian relations, Lebanese-Iranian
relations, Lebanese-Palestinian relations, Lebanon's international
relations, the international tribunal, the Lebanese economy, and other
issues.
The
pro-government coalition's first convention, which was aimed at
bringing the different March 14 parties together over a political
platform, was held on March 14, 2008.

The
political declaration, released during the convention, outlined the
March 14 Forces' vision for inter-Lebanese relations as well as
Lebanon's relations with the Arab and international community