Dakkash thanks Nasrallah for efforts to reach consensus

Source: Daily Star, 21-2-2006
BEIRUT: Consensus candidate for the Baabda-Aley by-elections Pierre Dakkash thanked on Monday Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah "for his efforts in making the consensus a success." Dakkash met with Nasrallah, whose party would have been the decisive factor in Baabda-Aley electoral district due to the strong Shiite influence in the area.
Speaking on behalf of Nasrallah, Hizbullah MP Ali Ammar said "the arrival of Dakkash to Parliament by a consensus is a great victory to the people of the southern suburbs."
For his part, Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah said the consensus reached on Dakkash "is the first natural result of the agreement between Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement, which constitute the major electoral force in the district of Baabda-Aley."
Fadlallah said "we welcome the rationalism that was a major factor in the decision of the of the March 14 Forces to agree on Dakkash as a consensus candidate."
Hinting to the presidency issue, he added: "We hope that the March 14 Forces will pursue the same rationalism in dealing with other national matters."
Dakkash also visited Monday former MP Talal Arslan, who holds a strong popular presence in the Baabda-Aley electoral district.
Arslan said: "We welcome Dakkash ... and I also congratulate Patriarch Sfeir for his vital mediating role."
Arslan also congratulated Aoun and Nasrallah, because, he said: "I consider that the understanding between the Free Patriotic Movement and Hizbullah was directly related to reaching a consensus on the elections."
Regarding the March 14 plans to oust the president, Arslan said he "refuses to oust Lahoud in the streets" but that he was willing to ask for the president`s resignation only if Aoun would be his replacement."
National Liberal Party (NLP) President Dory Chamoun, a member of the March 14 Forces who was a potential consensus candidate for the elections, told The Daily Star Monday he had never officially presented his candidacy for the by-elections and would not do so now.
Chamoun added that he was against toppling Lahoud by "any means."
Chamoun said: "I disagreed with the March 14 Forces during their last meeting in the idea of toppling Lahoud in the streets."
But he added that he was also against having Aoun as the new president.
"I already had a trial period with him 15 years ago and don`t want to go through it again."