Is there no end to these consultations?

Friday, Oct 9 2009

Is there no end to these clearly non-binding consultations? This question is no doubt one which is on the minds of most of the Lebanese people, for the country is without government or institutions, and has only a caretaker government to guide it. The people need someone to take care of their affairs and to listen to their concerns. We are seeing here, following the elections, the reappointment the person who was originally appointed to form the government and failed and yet, here he is undertaking the process again and holding consultations over the past two weeks while the country is at a standstill.

We may question the reasons for the delays in forming the new government while the second round of consultations are moving at a snail's pace.

It is strange that all this is happening in the shadow of Saudi-Arabian-Syrian relations, as relations between Damascus and Riyadh are promoted and strengthened. This will enhance the possibility of a political breakthrough in Lebanon as it is logical that this will have positive repercussions on the Lebanese situation. However, the talk is focusing on Saudi efforts to revitalize and coordinate Syrian-Saudi-Egyptian relations after first sorting out Syrian-Egyptian relations. We feel that some of the political forces or figures under the banner of 14 March are not understanding, or do not want to acknowledge, the rapid regional changes which are taking place in the Obama administration, which he inherited from the previous failed administration, such as the two wars of Iraq and Afghanistan as well as a number of internal and external American issues. The American president is tending to deal with the two issues, the Syrian and the Iranian, through dialogue, particularly after Tehran was able to get past the crisis of the presidential election and to prove its ability to maintain internal cohesion. It needs to show the major powers – the UN Security Council permanent members and Germany – that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes and there is work to support this trend and thus the likelihood of peaceful options.

We also see Damascus committed to international legitimacy and all its resolutions and wanting more recognition for its role in the region, both internationally and in the Arab world. It is considering the necessity of restoring inter-Arab communication and the urgency of coordinated Arab effort as represented by the historic visit made by the Saudi monarch, King Abdullah bin Abd al Aziz. This visit disturbed those people in Lebanon who are trying to ignore these variables and to keep Lebanon in the cycle of betting on wars which, God forbid they should take place, are only bet on by those who do not hold dear the concepts of Lebanese unity and co-existence. This raises the question about the honesty of the PM designate's position, with his options being Saudi openness with Syria or staying under the roof of some of his allies in the 14 March group who continue to bet on a unilateral government under the slogan “a government which reflects the results of the elections”. These people forget that the elections excluded the voices of the people and promoted the voices of the sects and denominations. Thus, the problem today goes back to the fact that political action is currently being seen in the form of a governmental crisis. The atmosphere is volatile and goes back to the parliamentary elections which took place on the basis of an electoral law which was concerned with sects and denominations and did not respect the citizen. This made the results of the elections impractical. Saad Hariri claimed a parliamentary majority once again after his success in stirring up the sectarian and confessional feelings of an audience caught up in the emotion since the assassination of the late PM Rafic Hariri. This is also what his allies have been doing. This approach is threatening the country with a vacuum as well as threatening its security, national unity and civil peace. This is despite the fact that Saad Hariri does not have the 13 years' experience of his father who played a significant role and was able to (despite our disagreement with him over various issues foremost of which is the economic issue and the issue of the general debt), with the help of Damascus to manage the internal balances successfully. He did this while avoiding many bumps thanks to his knowledge and realization of the reality of the Lebanese internal make-up. A change in the approach of the past four years is needed, whether in terms of leading the country into severe political alignments which led to the paralysis of all the institutions and to the social and economic breakdown or of creating dangerous conflicts with Syria which reached the point of some calling for or working to bring down the regime or of calling or working to confiscate the weapons of the opposition in the face of Israel. All of this came contrary to the constitution and to the spirit of the Taef accord.

The promotion of factional interests as well as ignorance of the basics of Lebanese politics are the main reasons for the crises remaining alive and consuming the country and its abilities. This is currently being manifested by keeping the country without a government to run its institutions. The statement by President Suleiman regarding the issue of the acquittal of those from Damascus and Tehran from the charge of delaying the formation of the government has entered a stage of debate. This may either overthrow him or require him to remain in power to ensure the continuation of the crisis until the desired changes take place internationally and regionally. However, the regional exterior has no relation to our issues. Is the president blaspheming when he commits to holding on to not signing the decree for a government if it will not be a national unity government? The wisdom of his Eminence Patriarch Sfeir has confirmed the correctness of the vision of President Suleiman.

As for Arab support, and this is something that we always welcome, we hope that this will constitute a real support to the rule of President Suleiman for whom we wish every success in pushing for the formation of a national unity government as a prelude to dealing with the institutions and supporting them as well as addressing various contentious and controversial issues, even if President Asad and King Abd Allah continue to insist on not going into Lebanese details as the various official statements show, whether Syrian or Saudi Arabian.

In the experience of our young but experienced party here in NDP, we have realized over the past five years the depth of the sectarian crisis and the difficulty of working in a society in dire straits due to its politicians where citizens are not allowed to exercise their citizenship functions. It is all too easy to attract people to sects and factions through mobilization, which is unfortunate and harmful, as well as deadly. When it comes to sectarian feelings, a single shot is enough to play on the fears between sects and confessions. And yet the failure of each attempt to promote sectarian projects with all their divisive and fragmentary faces, has shown that the Lebanese people will hold on to Lebanon as a state of institutions only. This has been the fate of federal projects in the past and this will continue to be the fate of projects for divisions and cantons, none of which will find a foothold in Lebanon.

In a word, no sane person can help but see – as did MP Mr. Walid Jumblatt – that the Syrian-Saudi Arabian summit must help to accelerate the issue of the formation of the government. It must be called on to complete this crucial task in order to restore life to the institutions in the country. However, the question remains which we started this editorial with: what are Saad Hariri's options? The opportunity is ripe for him now; and the Lebanese people are bored which will inevitably lead to frustration. The path to the Prime Minister's position is open in front of him. This calls first and foremost for maintaining national unity, Lebanon's right to resistance to Israel and good relations with Syria. Indeed, we have not yet asked the PM designate what his plan is to save Lebanon from bankruptcy...we hope that no one will bet on the settlement of the Palestinians in Lebanon, as this does not bode well at all.