No room for more bickering

February 9, 1008

No room for more bickering

Arab League chief Amr Mussa has renewed efforts to persuade the feuding Lebanese groups to agree steps to elect a new president and plug the constitutional vaccum and resulting crisis is bad news for the country. From his own words, Musa faces a uphill task since the ruling majority and the opposition parties are not willing to step back from their positions.
"There are some points on which there is an agreement but there are other points that need further discussion," Musa said after talks with majority leader Saad Hariri and opposition figure Michel Aoun. He has promised to continue his efforts.
Obviously, both sides see the situation as a make-or-break point in the power struggle that has to do with the very core of political life in the country. They consider any compromise has dealing a severe blow to themselves.
There are many firsts in the Lebanese crisis. Never in recent political history of any country has a parliament failed to elect a president despite 13 sessions. A 14th session set for Monday does not hold out any promise of success either.
Musa is trying to convince both sides to accept an Arab League endorsed proposal that involves a three-point plan calling for the election of consensus candidate army chief General Michel Suleiman as president, the formation of a national unity government in which no single party has a veto power and adoption of a new electoral law.
While the government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora has accepted the plan, the opposition remains firm on its demand for a third of the seats in the new government to secure veto power. The government, which has indeed a majority in parliament, does not see the need for accepting the demand.
As the impasse continues, the country is almost at a standstill, with the ordinary people of Lebanon praying that there would not be a repetition of the violence that hit the country last month originating in protests against power shortages in some areas.
That the protests led to violence underlines the tension prevailing in the country. Many see the crisis as a powderkeg ready to explode at the slighest provocation.
Indeed, it is up to the politicians of Lebanon to think and take decisions with the awareness that they are playing with the future of their country and people. Hopefully, they would responsibly shoulder the representative mandate — whether in power or as opposition — that is vested on them by their people. There is no room for continued deadlock.