|  national dialogue after the elections (given fpm won) -
27th May 2009
what should be the future of the natioanl dialogue after the elctions?
there needs urgendtly to be a thing like that, yet what went by this name since 2005 does not seem to deserve this name...
a new national dialogue is needed, to implement the ideas of the mou.
1 who should be in charge of this dialogue?
a) berri? (that would strengthen the informal berri-junblat axis which always existed; but a figure both ha and junblat/hariri could trust)
b) the president (could backfire if he continues to behave like a competitor against fpm; but could strengthen the office)
c) the new pm to come (whoever it is, it would amass too much power in pm hands, perhaps disturb the balance; but could guarantee relevancy to the process and engange the sunni parties, if pm is chosen wisely)
d) a neutral party (possibly a retired judge or an elder statesman)
2 who should be represented?
a) only the major political parties
b) plus institutions of civil society (labour unions, employers, religiious authorities, etc)
c) plus isf and the the army
3 what should be discussed?
a) only ha's arms
b) constitutional reform
c) economic questions
in my opinion, ha's weapons cannot be discussed without discussing the question of the inclusion of the south, and that means questions of economic and constitutional reforms; and that will never be on the table if only the shareholders of todays lebanons powers will disuss it. so inclusion not only of the political parties but also of the civil society is needed.
also, it is clear that ha will only integrate into a defence framework of the state if guarantees are given against israeli intrusion; that demands deeper reaching changes on the part of the state and the army, which seem to me to consider themselves neutral vis a vis a war between the resistance and israel all the way since 1967. on the other hand, the state needs some kind of guarantees that ha does nt consider itself above the law. | 
