Talks in Damascus to end fighting

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34138, 27 April 1976, Page 21

Talks in Damascus to end fighting

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) BEIRUT, April 26. The speaker of Lebanon’s Parliament (Mr Kamel Al-Asaad) will travel to Damascus today for talks with Syrian leaders on the election of a replacement for President Franjieh. Mr Franjieh, under pressure from the increasingly powerful Lebanese Left, signed a constitutional amendment on Saturday allowing for his early retirement. Syria has been involved in r attempts to end the year-old ■ civil war, which has left - more than 15,000 dead.

Shortly before it was announced that Mr Asaad was going to Damascus, a series of planned Parliamentary meetings in Beirut was called off because of fighting between Lebanon’s Left and Right-wing factions. Although the Constitutional amendment allows for Parliament to go ahead and elect a new President, the new man cannot take office before the incumbent resigns — and Mr Franjieh has given no indication when he intends to do so. No date has yet been set for a Parliamentary meeting to elect a new man, although it was widely expected to take place later this week. Mr Asaad’s talks were apparently aimed at securing a Syrian pledge to help enforce peaceful conditions for the Presidential election.

Although tension subsided yesterday and Beirut had a day of what passes for calm here, police sources said last night 47 bodies had been found. This was down on the daily average of 50. The Moslem district of Shiyah .-.nd neighbouring Christian Ain El-Rummaneh traded artillery and mortar shells and there was sporadic sniping in Beirut’s commercial district, which was wrested from Rightwing control in fighting last month. But the improved security was underlined by the hundreds of motorists who crossed into Christian areas which have been virtually sealed for weeks. Gunmen on the “green line” —■ the one road junction where traffic from the

Moslem west into the Christian east of Beirut is occasionally possible — made no more than cursory checks of identity cards. Both sides have denounced the idea of partitioning Lebanon.

But the Left-wing leader (Mr Kamal Jumblatt) said at the week-end that Left-wing parties were going ahead with plans to set up local administrations in the 80 per cent or so of Lebanon they are said to dominate.

Last night, a radio station supporting the Rightists said that a joint organisation of Right-wing parties in Ain El-Rummaneh would set up a “combat force” to ensure security.