The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani receiving Arab leaders at the Doha International Airport yesterday. From left: Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir, Omani Deputy Prime Minister for Cabinet Affairs Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
DOHA: Arab leaders are set to kick off their coveted conclave at the Doha Sheraton this morning, and are likely to press in their communiqué at the end of the meet tomorrow the United Nations Security Council to ensure a ceasefire in Syria and sponsor a dialogue for peaceful transfer of power.
The disagreement over allotting Syria’s opposition the country’s long-vacant seat at the Arab League is in the spotlight and it is feared it might sideline the main issues, among them Palestine and the reform of the Arab League itself, reports aljazeera.net.
The decision of Arab foreign ministers at their preparatory meet here on Sunday to set the agenda of the Summit, to allot Syria’s vacant seat at the League to the opposition was not without controversies and disagreements, aljazaeera.net said.
Algeria and Iraq expressed their reservations against the move while Lebanon chose to remain aloof on the issue of inviting Syria’s opposition National Council to the Arab Summit.
The Arab League, it may be recalled, suspended Syria’s membership earlier after President Bashar Al Assad refused to implement its peace plan, whereas several member-countries (of the League) continued diplomatic ties with Damascus.
The League instead provided recognition to Syria’s National Coalition, accepting it as the legal representative of the people of Syria.
However, ahead of the Arab Summit, there have been important developments in Syria. The Syrian Free Army has refused to accept Ghassan Hitto, who was elected by the National Coalition to head the Syrian provisional government, as Syria’s first rebel prime minister.
The chairman of Syria’s National Coalition, Ahmed Alkhatib, who is here, announced his resignation — a move that brings to surface the disarray within the ranks of the Syrian opposition. Alkhatib has, however, said that he will address the Summit ‘in the name of the Syrian people’ and head the Syrian delegation to the
Summit.
The Arab Summit, 24th in a series, is being held under the slogan ‘Arab Nation—Current Situation and Future Perspective’.
Although, important issues such as Palestine and the reform of the Arab League currently remain overshadowed by the drama that has been unfolding involving the Syrian opposition, it is likely the Arab leaders, in their final communiqué, would call upon the UN Security Council to make sure that all resolutions with regard to Palestine are implemented. The question of the League’s reform is also expected to be debated at the Summit.
Meanwhile, among the top Arab leaders who are not attending the Summit are the presidents of Algeria and Iraq, aljazeera.net said. There are six Arab leaders who will not be taking part in the coveted conclave, the website said.
However, a number of key Arab leaders and senior representatives converged here yesterday to take part in the Summit and they included the Tunisian and Palestinian presidents.
The Peninsula
