Political Crisis Deepens in Lebanon
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanon awoke to a republic without a president Saturday amid mounting worries over a power vacuum that has intensified the nation’s yearlong political turmoil.
The capital was calm and shops opened for business as usual the morning after a tumultuous day that saw President Emile Lahoud depart without a successor after announcing he was handing over security powers to the army.
Lahoud’s final announcement saying the country is in a “state of emergency” was rejected by the rival, pro-Western Cabinet of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.
The government rejection created fresh confusion in an already unsettled situation, which many Lebanese fear could explode into violence between supporters of Saniora’s government and the pro-Syria opposition led by the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.
“Lahoud’s term ends in a republic without a president,” read the headline of Lebanon’s leading An-Nahar newspaper. Another daily, Al-Balad, printed an empty photo frame on its front page, symbolizing the political vacuum.
The departure of Lahoud, a staunch ally of the Syrian regime during his nine years in office, was a long-sought goal of the government installed by parliament’s anti-Syria majority, which has been trying to put one of its own in the presidency.
Hezbollah and other opposition groups have blocked legislators from electing a new president by boycotting ballot sessions, leaving parliament without the required quorum.
The fight has put Lebanon into dangerous, unknown territory: Both sides are locked in bitter recriminations, accusing the other of breaking the constitution, and they are nowhere near a compromise on a candidate to become head of state.
The army command refused to comment on the developments. The military, under its widely respected chief, Gen. Michel Suleiman, has sought to remain neutral in the political chaos, and Lahoud’s statement did not give it political powers.
Even before the president’s vague announcement, the military was in place to guard against the two sides’ supporters taking the conflict to the streets. On alert for days, hundreds of soldiers stood with tanks, armored personnel carriers and jeeps in the area around the downtown parliament building as well as on roads leading into Beirut.
Lahoud stepped down when his term expired at midnight.
Before getting into his car to go, he blasted Saniora’s government, calling it “illegitimate and unconstitutional. They know that, even if (President) Bush said otherwise.”
In the capital, some 2,000 government supporters gathered in a Sunni Muslim neighborhood cheered his departure, setting off fireworks, beating drums and shouting, “Lahoud Out!”
His departure left the presidency vacant after parliament failed again to convene earlier Friday to vote on a successor.
Lahoud’s vaguely worded final statement, two hours before midnight enflamed tempers with his reference to a “state of emergency” in Lebanon.
The constitution requires the cabinet to approve any state of emergency, and Saniora’s government quickly rejected the announcement as “worthless.”
Saniora signaled earlier that his government planned to assume the powers. His top ally, the United States, said Friday that was the proper path.
The anti-Syria camp has sought to capture the presidency to seal the end of Syria dominance of Lebanon, which lasted for 29 years until international pressure and mass protests forced Damascus to withdraw Syrian troops in 2005.
Hezbollah, which is an ally of Syria and Iran, and its opposition allies have been able to stymie the government’s hopes by boycotting parliament, as they did Friday afternoon.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is aligned with the opposition, scheduled another session for Nov. 30 to give the factions more time to try to find a compromise candidate - something they failed to do in weeks of talks mediated by France’s foreign minister and others.
© 2007 The Associated Press.
Lebanon (not Iran) is ‘next on our hit-parade’. Israel has lusted-after the Litani River for a LONG time, and Lebanon will be handy to involve Syria in a ‘rationalized-involvement’, so that Israel/US can ‘follow-through’ with them, too…
[Poor-Lebanon, once called the ‘Pearl of the ME’ (just-ahead of pre-Sanction Iraq — now both ‘brought-low’…)]
A very strange article in what it mentions and what it doesn’t mention.
For instance, I know just enough about Lebanon to know that different factions are guaranteed different posts in the government as part of the power sharing agreement that is that country’s constitution. I forget which group is supposed to have the Presidency, but its very strange that the article doesn’t even mention this. Also, there’s been a large group of protestors against the Sinora-led, Bush puppet govt in downtown Beirut. No mention of them either while the Sunnis who are happy to see Lahoud go get prominent mention.
Interesting how it refers to the opponents of Bush’s plans. “Hezbollah and other opposition groups”. As good Americans, we’ve already been trained to reflexively hate Hezbollah, and no need to even bother to tell a reader who the other groups are once they’ve been lumped into that slur.
Its no accident that the independent governments in various regions are the ones to be taken down by the US. This has been going on since at least Chile and Argentina in the 70’s. Its plainly stated in the US national security doctrine that the US will prevent any other independent nation from reaching even the status of a regional power. So we destroy anything that’s built by anyone except one of our puppets.
If Lebanon is sufferng from a political “power vacumn”; what do we call what is happening here with our government?
Another failed state, courtesy of the zio-cons. Looks like a set up for more shock doctrine, waiting in the wings.
Ain’t it great, this whole wide world, just an experimental laboratory for the Friedman capitalists to toy with, and watch from their private 747s, and palaces on Maui and in Dubai.
Beriut used to be called the Paris of the Middle East, and the Lebonese were a powerful force for good in literature, the arts, commerce and were a benevolent society, Jews, Christians and Muslims living in harmony with each other.
Those days are gone.
I agree COMarc. I worry about Lebanon!
This ME conference in Annapolis MD next week might be interesting. Seems like the Syrians are still not sure if they’ll attend but check out the love the Saudis have for the Israelis:
‘”The Saudis told Washington that they do not want to meet anyone from the Israeli delegation, either by chance or by prior arrangement. Hence it was decided that … delegations would enter into the meeting room from different doors,” he said.’
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iJj-3RAxIDWObB0RZ7heMnfy4xDg
That’s all for show Margaret as you’d be surprised how well the Saudis and Israelis work together behind the scenes. Both of them are supporting the Sunni led government in Lebanon while a coalition of Shi’a Lebanese many of whom are Hizbollah supporters and Christians are together in an alliance supporting the opposition party. The Saudis and Israelis are also working together against Iran. The Saudi Wahhabis view Iranian Shi’a as infidels and you know the old adage the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So things aren’t always what they appear. If the Saudis and Israelis are using seperate entrances at Anapolis its all for show for the Arab street (and Israeli one in the case of Israel). The reality is far different.
http://www.juancole.com/2006/12/new-middle-east-cold-war.html
By the way I am not taking sides when it comes to Lebanon my hope is that all the different sects and parties can come together and work things out. I also think all of Lebanon’s neighbors in the region should stop meddling in Lebanon’s affairs as clearly they are making things worse.
don’t like oil wars? don’t burn oil…
http://www.freepublictransit.org
If anyone gave a damn about Lebanon they would have made sure that Syria did not occupy the country-without protest- for 30 years. The country has also had to put up with occupations by Israel, the PLO, and Hezballah. Except for the Israeli occupation, no one said a word for giving the Lebonese back their country. Not that I have ever heard.
Bligh
“If anyone gave a damn about Lebanon they would have made sure that Syria did not occupy the country-without protest- for 30 years”
So Bligh, tell us just how you expected anyone to have stopped Syria from occupying Lebanon? And didn’t that Syrian occupation help put an end to the endless civil war in Lebanon? Wasn’t Syria an important U.S. ally during the 1991 Gulf War?
dcbeltway said
“The Saudis and Israelis are also working together against Iran.”
That could be right as the Shiite Hezbollah really threatens Israel and the Shia in general threaten the Saudi Arabian Sunni regime. But what about these ‘A’adhamiya Knights’ that Robert Fisk writes about…? Who is behind them? The U.S.? See:
http://news.independent.co.uk/fisk/article3191532.ece
Jan,
Maybe you should review your history. Syria occupied Lebanon in the 70’s and CONTRIBUTED to the ongoing civil war until the 90’s. Much of the damage to Beirut was caused by Syrian shelling of Christian neighborhoods. The Syrians did not withdraw until the massive Cedar Revolution of 2005- which was largely ignored by the West.
As far as “What could be done about the Syrian occupation?” how about the same thing that was done about the Israeli occupation- sanctions and protests until they withdrew.
To protest the one (israeli)as brutal and illegal while accepting the other (Syrian) as “a good thing”, is the height of hypocrisy.
No mention of the fact that a good part of the infrastructure (bridges, power plants, airports) of the whole of Lebanon, including the north, was flattened about a year ago by a neighbor. That’s not exactly the environment in which freedom, good governance, democracy, and social harmony is likely to flourish. The destruction was perpetrated by proxy, by the neocon cabal running Washington and the US. And the evil Sec of State, one of the chief perpetrators, is now assuring the entire world that she and the current resident will bring peace to the Middle East with their sham conference in Annapolis. The abomination of a Bush is seeking something positive to be remembered for by posterity. How pathetic!