Feuding Lebanese factions holding the highest-level talks yet in their country's 18-month political crisis traded accusations Sunday, and a government official said almost no progress has been made in discussions between the government and Hezbollah-led opposition. Hezbollah's chief negotiator Mohammed Raad accused the government of trying to “blackmail” the opposition by bringing the subject of Hezbollah's weapons up in the talks being held in the Qatari capital, Doha. “No one opens the door to a debate about” Hezbollah's arms, Raad told the Iranian-backed group's private Al-Manar Television, adding that the group's “weapons and capabilities are beyond any discussion” and were not supposed to be on the table in Doha. But a member of the pro-government team at the talks said no political deal in Doha was possible without “serious progress” on the issue of Hezbollah's weapons. The Lebanese need “reassurances” the militants' would not again “turn on the people” as they did last week, he said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said almost no progress had been made and that the talks were “still at the beginning.” According to a delegate attending the meeting, Qatar proposed the formation of a unity government as a possible way out of the current crisis in Lebanon. The Qatari suggestion was to postpone a decision over a disputed electoral law and move directly to the election of army chief Michel Sleiman as Lebanese president, the delegate said. It also proposed forming a unity government of 30 ministers, with 13 ministers from the pro-Western parliamentary majority, 10 from the opposition and seven to be chosen by the elected president. Although the rival factions agree on electing Sleiman as a president to succeed Emile Lahoud, whose term ended in November, they disagree on power-sharing in a unity government. The two Lebanese sides flew Friday to Qatar, following a deal mediated by the Arab League.
