Pact May End Lebanese War in Week

Lebanese Muslim and Christian leaders said today that a Syrian-sponsored pact formally ending the country’s 10-year civil war will be signed within a week.

Shia Muslim militia leader Nabih Berri told reporters that he, Druze chief Walid Jumblatt and Christian militia chief Elie Hobeika will sign the accord, agreed upon by militia negotiators in Damascus on Wednesday.

War-weary Lebanese greeted the news with caution learned during their country’s decade of torment.

“We have heard this all before. It looks serious, but I prefer to wait until it is really implemented,” said a businessman in mainly Muslim West Beirut.

Gemayel Hopeful

President Amin Gemayel, a Christian, said he hopes that “a dark page in Lebanon’s history” will be turned and predicted that the country will “move from a phase of tragedy to one of peace by the end of this year and the beginning of the new year.”

Berri’s statement confirmed that the rival organizations had settled differences over the draft during talks with Syrian Vice President Abdel-Halim Khaddam in Damascus. State-owned Beirut Radio said militia delegates initialed the accord there, but this could not be immediately confirmed.

The draft plan has not been published, but it is known to contain reforms to decrease the political power that Lebanon’s Christian minority has enjoyed since independence in 1943.

It will be the first pact signed by militia leaders who control the guns. Several previous agreements concluded by politicians with little or no military power have collapsed, some on the same day the truce was signed.

There have also been scores of cease-fire declarations along Lebanon’s various war fronts, but none lasted for more than a few weeks.

Transitional Period

The negotiations started in October and stalled over the length of a transitional period during which Lebanon’s present sectarian government system will be phased out.

The Christians demanded a 16- to 19-year transitional period to abolish the distribution of top government and army posts along sectarian lines. Amal and Druze negotiators insisted on a 10-year period.

A Muslim radio station, the Voice of the Nation, said the dispute was resolved when the three sides agreed Wednesday to leave this sticking point to the Lebanese Parliament to resolve.

Sources close to the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity, said general elections for a new Parliament will be held within a year from the signing of the accord.