In a talk with the Hezbollah-owned Al-Manar, Raad said the party he represented was open to settlement. "We are flexible, but not at the expense of our constants," he noted. "We will not raise the ceiling of our conditions, but no one can force us to lower the ceiling of our conditions, upon which the opposition agrees."

Raad denied the existence of a final agreement as yet, but added that there was consensus on certain issues. The MP ruled out any agreement short of an "integrated basket," including the formation of a national-unity government and the adoption of an electoral law.

"We want to adopt an electoral law with clear standards that apply to all regions and segments in Lebanon," Raad said. "We understand the circumstances of some (parties), and have shown some flexibility, but no result can be reached if measures to satisfy some (parties) are adopted."

Raad said the issue of the resistance and Hezbollah arms are non-negotiable.

"We are negotiating the world ... the resistance and its weapons are not included in the Doha talks," Raad told Al Manar TV.

The MP added that the Hezbollah-led opposition had lost 14 "martyrs" in Beirut and the Mountain at the hands of the "authority and its militias, who started the military confrontations and killings."

Hezbollah's invasion of west Beirut and the Druze strongholds in Mt. Lebanon a week ago which resulted in the killing of over 65 people and the wounding of over 200 has caused pro-government forces to openly question whether the party's militia can exist beside a democratic state. March 14 leaders are insisting that the issue of Hezbollah's arms should be on the front burner in discussions with the Arab delegation in Doha

Lebanon's former president Amin Gemayel told LBC TV in an interview last Friday before departing to Doha that the key issue is the principle of building a state and no party should have a sovereignty at the expense of the state

In other words the principle of a " State within a state is not acceptable"

Gemayel added

"The points to be discussed in the dialogue have to do with the latest events. There are the points from the Arab initiatives in addition to the issue of Hezbollah's weapons and spreading state authority across all Lebanese soil."

" We insist on discussing the relations between Hezbollah and the state, because what we have witnessed was a futile, tragic and suicidal adventure."

Photo: Lebanon's Hezbollah senior officials Hussein al-Haj Hassan (L), Mohammed Raad (C) and Mohammed Fneish (R) arrive for the dialogue talks in Doha May 16, 2008.

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