BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun spoke of Lebanon’s central role in being a land of assembly, interaction and dialogue during an iftar dinner at Baabda Palace Thursday evening to mark the month of Ramadan. “At this stage, Lebanon is the most capable of being at the center for interfaith dialogue and of playing a key role in re-establishing ties between faiths,” Aoun said in front of over 250 guests that included key political and religious leaders.

Among the guests and lawmakers in attendance were former Lebanese presidents Michel Sleiman and Amine Gemayel, the Vatican Ambassador to Lebanon Gabriele Caccia and other Christian and Muslim leaders, both local and foreign.

Aoun said that Lebanon still remained a model for all communities living in collective unilateralism and seeking pluralism.

He added that with its pluralistic society bringing together all religions and sects, “Lebanon continues to maintain the balance of the system and its ethics even if, sometimes, political divisions spoil this image when they hide under a religious label whereas it is purely political.”

“All of us are quite aware that if the image of Islam is distorted and the East will come to an end if Christians abandon it ... the oriental spirit based on pluralism, openness and religious tolerance will vanish letting the destructive unilateral racism prevail,” Aoun said.

Touching on the confidence of the Lebanese people in the government, the president added that the main purpose of his government was to build a strong nation and restore this damaged confidence.

However, he added that it would take time to build a nation.

“A nation is not built overnight and it cannot be built ... unless wills and pure intentions combine for the national interest,” he said, saying that any step forward would benefit all and any step back would be a failure for all.

Separately, Lebanese Forces MP Georges Adwan told reporters as he arrived, “There is a new electoral law,” despite LF chief Samir Geagea’s comments indicating that there was still work to be done.

Meanwhile, Free Patriotic Movement MP Ibrahim Kanaan told reporters as he arrived at the Baabda Palace that discussions on an electoral was close to completion.

“We are on the verge of achieving a new electoral law,” Kanaan said.

However, talk of a rift between Aoun and Marada chief MP Sleiman Frangieh was stoked with the MP rejecting a reported invite to the iftar. Public Works Minister Youssef Fenianos, who is affiliated with Frangieh, also did not attend the gathering.

Ties soured between Frangieh and Aoun, who were both main candidates for the presidency and members of the now-defunct March 8 coalition, after the latter piped the Marada Movement head to the country’s top post last October.

Calling for forces to come together to open a new chapter in rebuilding Lebanon, Aoun said: “It is an open invitation to everyone, to let the national interest take precedence over all other interests, making all solutions easier.”