Lebanon back to Normalcy?
It is only ironical that the Lebanese, like Palestinians, have to settle scores with domestic opponents and e satisfied with that without having any time left for resolving the eve-increasing problems with Israel.
The intense fight between the government and opposition in Lebanon seems to have come to an end with a compromise formula brokered by Arabs at Doha. The Hezbollah-led opposition left a national unity coalition cabinet late in 2006, demanding more power and a veto over government decisions. The deadlock has stopped parliament from electing a new president for more than six months, creating an unstable power vacuum. Arab League mediators met both sides in Beirut in an effort to end the violence which left many people dead. Under a six-point plan, the rival parties agreed to go to Qatar on Friday to try to elect a president - Lebanon has had no president since November - and to form a national unity government.
The Western-backed government and Hezbollah-led opposition agreed on May 21 the army chief as a compromise candidate as violence raised fears of civil war. Lebanon's parliament has elected army commander General Michel Suleiman as president, ending deadlock which has left the post vacant since November. Gen Suleiman called for "the beginning of a nation that is starting to wake up from self-destruction". It seems his powers are limited after recent Hezbollah gains. Many Lebanese are relieved to finally have a president.
The deputy leader of the mainly Shia political and militant movement, Naim Qassam, told a news conference Hezbollah would return the situation in Lebanon back "to normal". Airport officials said the national carrier MEA would resume international flights to the airport soon. The Hezbollah opposition has pledged to return normality to Lebanon, a week after battles erupted between the movement and government supporters. The announcement comes a day after the government withdrew two key measures to curb Hezbollah that triggered clashes. The "militants" loyal to Hezbollah have since removed roadblocks on the route to Beirut's international airport.
The camp set up by supporters of Hezbollah and its opposition allies occupied a sizable chunk of downtown Beirut. The razor-wire barricades set up by the army to protect the government building have also now been removed. For the smart shops and cafes of the reconstructed downtown district - which depend heavily on a climate of stability - it could not come too soon. These shopkeepers count heavily on an influx of rich Arab visitors from the Gulf during the summer months. They lost that two summers ago because of Hezbollah's war with Israel. Now, they're hoping at least, that this summer can be salvaged by the new agreement signed in Qatar, between the pro-West Lebanese Government and Syrian and Iranian-backed Hezbollah reached to deescalate the crisis.
Agreement
According Doha Agreement, signed last week, western-backed ruling majority to get 16 cabinet seats and choose prime minister, while Syrian-backed opposition to get 11 cabinet seats and veto power. President would nominate three cabinet seats. The use of weapons in internal conflicts is to be banned. Opposition protest camps in central Beirut are to be removed. A new law would be enacted to divide country into smaller electoral districts. Among 200 guests at the parliamentary vote were the Emir of Qatar, who helped mediate the Doha deal, as well as a US congressional delegation and the foreign ministers of Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia. These outside powers have all been involved in the proxy struggle in Lebanon, but now seem to be coming together to give their blessing to the agreement.
Under the agreement, the opposition gained the power of veto in a new cabinet of national unity - over which it had walked out of the previous cabinet 18 months ago. While the make-up of the government has been agreed, there will be much haggling over who gets which portfolio. Under the constitution, outgoing Prime Minister Fouad Siniora is expected to head a caretaker government until a new prime minister is appointed. The government in effect backed down, retracting demands like the head of airport security be moved from his job and Hezbollah's private phone system be shut down. The network is a key element of the Hezbollah's military capability and what it calls the "weapons of resistance" against Israel.
The agreement that paved the way for his election, reached in Doha, ended some of the worst violence since the country's 1975-1990 civil war. An 18-month stalemate between the Christian, Sunni Muslim and Druze governing coalition and the pro-Syrian opposition - led by the Shia Hezbollah political and militant group - had brought the country to crisis point. It is indeed a great agreement achieved for Lebanon; hopefully the beginning of new era. The job has been vacant since last November because of the political deadlock. The agreement gives the Hezbollah-led opposition bloc enough seats in the cabinet for a veto. The controversial issue of Hezbollah's arsenal is addressed. The deal states that "use of arms or violence is forbidden to settle political differences".
The army chief, Gen Suleiman, who was standing unopposed, is widely seen as a trusted figure who has managed to maintain the army's neutrality among Lebanon's complex mix of factions. For months, Gen Suleiman had been accepted by all sides as the only candidate to succeed outgoing pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, but disagreements had repeatedly prevented a parliamentary vote to appoint him. His election does not mean the military is taking over - it is more a case of feuding politicians being unable to agree on a Maronite Christian, which the president has to be, who is acceptable to all. Applause broke out in the chamber as speaker Nabih Berri announced that Gen Suleiman had won 118 votes out of 127.
Following the announcement, there was a lot of commotion on the streets now. "Let us unite... and work towards a solid reconciliation... we have paid dearly for our national unity, let us preserve it hand-in-hand" Trumpets played and supporters waved flags in the streets, while celebratory gunfire resounded around the capital, Beirut.
Reconciliation?
As he was sworn in, the new president called for a "new phase", and a "quiet dialogue" on some of Lebanon's thorniest issue, including the role of Hezbollah as an armed movement. His assumption of presidency would add further momentum. The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says the first hurdle facing the new president is to form a national unity government, as agreed in last week's deal after days of talks in Qatar. The outgoing Western-backed governing coalition had pushed for the UN tribunal and blamed Syria for Hariri's death, while the role of Hezbollah as an armed movement to defend themselves is one of the most sensitive issues facing the new president.
After he was sworn in, Gen Suleiman, in a speech seen as reaching out to both sides of Lebanon's political divide, said: "Let us unite... and work towards a solid reconciliation. We have paid dearly for our national unity. Let us preserve it hand-in-hand." Gen Suleiman said the country should co-operate with UN efforts to try suspects in the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. But he also called for "brotherly ties" with Syria and a "national strategic stance" so that Lebanon could "benefit from the lessons of the resistance [Hezbollah] to serve the nation".
Weeks ago the crisis flared into the worst violence the country has seen since the civil war in 1990. Many people died in clashes as Hezbollah fighters seized control of sections of Beirut in response to government attempts to outlaw the group's private telephone network and reassign Beirut airport's security chief, who is close to the opposition. The agreement signed in the Qatari capital Doha has brought about a perceptible easing of tensions on the ground.
US President George W Bush welcomed Gen Suleiman's election and said he looked forward to an "era of political reconciliation". Bush said that he is confident that Lebanon has chosen a leader committed to protecting its sovereignty, extending the government's authority over all of Lebanon, and upholding Lebanon's international obligations under UN Security Council Resolutions.
Lebanon
Lebanon is a religiously diverse, mountainous country in Western Asia, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south. Lebanon faces serious problems from Israel. Before the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), the country enjoyed a period of relative calm and prosperity, driven by the tourism, agriculture, and banking sectors of the economy. It was widely known as the "Switzerland of the East" due to its financial power and diversity. Immediately following the end of the war, there were extensive efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure. By early 2006, a considerable degree of stability had been achieved throughout much of the country, Beirut's reconstruction was almost complete, and an increasing number of foreign tourists were pouring into Lebanon's resorts.
The Hariri assassination marked the beginning of a series of assassination attempts that led to the loss of many prominent Lebanese figures. It is claimed that the assassination may have been executed by the Israeli Mossad in an attempt to destabilize the country, though Israel denies any direct involvment in this. Hezbollah captured on July 12, 2006, two Israeli soldiers leading to a conflict, the 2006 war that caused widespread loss of life and damage to Lebanon's infrastructure from 21 July, 2006 until a a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect on 14 August, 2006, and the country's economy is still in the process of recovering.
In October 2007, when Émile Lahoud finished his second term as President, the opposition conditioned its vote for a successor on a power-sharing deal, thus leaving the country without a president for over 6 months. On 09 May , 2008, Hezbollah and Amal militants, in an armed attack triggered by a government decision on Hezbollah's communications network, temporarily took over Western Beirut. The situation was described by the government as an attempted "coup".
On May 21, 2008, all major Lebanese parties signed an accord to elect Michel Suleiman as President, to form a national unity government with 11 out of 30 seats for the opposition, thus enabling it to veto decisions, and to adopt a new electoral law, based on the 1960 law with amendments for the 3 Beirut constituencies. The deal was brokered by an Arab League delegation, headed by the Emir and Foreign Minister of Qatar and the Secretary General of the Arab League, after 5 days of intense negotiations in Doha. Michel Suleiman was officially elected President on Sunday May 25, 2008 in the presence of the Foreign Ministers of Syria and Iran as well as France and Saudi-Arabia.
A Word: Beirut back to life
The agreement between feuding politicians has brought a surge of hope and confidence which has been felt in many areas, including a burst of activity on the financial markets, with some shares jumping sharply. Beirut's city centre, partly paralyzed for 18 months by a sit-in staged by Lebanese opposition groups, is starting to come back to life. Cleaning crews were out in force and restaurants, nightclubs and cafes prepared to open for business. The tented encampment was removed within hours of agreement between feuding Lebanese factions.
It was a huge relief for many Lebanese, and the world at large, to find themselves with a new president in Lebanon at last, after 19 failed attempts to elect a head of state. But Gen Suleiman comes into office with his wings somewhat clipped, after his army was humiliated by having to stand by while Hezbollah burned newspaper offices and nearly stirred up civil war in the violence which broke out two weeks ago. However the turmoil has been put down as far as possible with the Doha agreement. Suleiman would see the situation never goes out of control again and the legitimate concerns of the opposition and other sections of the country are properly addressed. Like the Palestinians, the Lebanese could successfully face their external enemies only if they are united and face the danger together. Whether the usual Sunni-Shia divide or something else has triggered the trouble, the spiritual leadership in Lebanon has warned all sides against falling into the trap of sectarian discourse and called for dialogue among all parties.
The Doha Agreement has largely been seen as a victory for Hezbollah in Arab world and beyond; the militia cum political party will be brought into the Government and provided a cabinet veto. Meanwhile, a discussion of the disposition of Hezbollah's weapons"”a core issue for March 14th"”is deferred. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa has described the Doha Agreement as a historic "reconciliation" but it is up to the Hezbollah and the government to prove if it is not a temporary truce"”until the next round of fighting. ------------------------