Beirut (AsiaNews) No sooner was he back from his mission to the United States that Maronite Patriarch Nassrallah Sfeir is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Omar Karami's envoy Minister Albert Mansour today at 4:45 pm. However, the meeting will take place a few hours after Kaskil's shopping centre near Jounieh was devastated by an explosion, killing two Indian nationals and wounding many more. This is the second attack in a week in Christian neighbourhoods.
The Patriarch intends to impress on the minister the importance of forming a government that can organise the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for May 31. He will also reiterate the need to put aside the language of violence so that everyone can work towards national reconciliation and peace in a Lebanon free of foreign interference.
In order to foster national reconciliation a group of opposition lawmakers have called on the government to free Samir Geagea, one of the main protagonists of the country's bloody civil war, and to allow General Michel Aoun to come home from exile.
As the head of the Lebanese Forces, a Christian militia, Geagea was the only warlord who was tried and incarcerated. Amnesty International has also been calling for a review of his trial.
Michel Aoun, also a Christian, was the head of the Lebanese army but was forced into exile by the Syrians in 1991.
"There can be no national reconciliation as long as Geagea is in prison," said Christian lawmaker Nematallah Abi Nasr, who is promoting a petition for Geagea's release. So far five other parliamentarians have signed, including a Sunni, a Shiite and a Druze.
Druze lawmaker Akram Shehayeb said that Geagea and Aoun, who announced his intention of coming home in mid-April, are pillars of the opposition and a solution to their case must be found quickly.
Patriarch Sfeir has also called for Geagea's liberation. On his return from the US, he told reporters that he was optimistic despite the many difficulties.
Calling on his fellow Lebanese to "join their strengths and hearts", the Patriarch said that Lebanon's peace and prosperity depend first and foremost on the Lebanese themselves and not on others.
The Lebanese should, in his words, put aside the language of violence and begin the journey towards true reconciliation.
He added that US and UN officials expressed the hope that peace and freedom will prevail throughout the country and pledged that soon "Lebanon will be free of any foreign interference". (YH)