Home  Opinion Berri's proposal gives Lebanon's politicians a chance to buy time |
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Berri's proposal gives Lebanon's politicians a chance to buy time |
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Written by Daily Star
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Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri moved back into the spotlight on Friday by unveiling a proposal designed to head off a new crisis over the selection of Lebanon's next president. The immediate value of his suggestion lies in the implicit message that he and his opposition allies are not wedded to their presumptive candidate, MP Michel Aoun of the Free Patriotic Movement - and therefore in an invitation for the ruling coalition to be similarly flexible. In the longer term, however, the merits of Berri's approach will be determined by the extent to which it gets the two sides talking again.
While more than symbolic, the Lebanese presidency nonetheless carries less power than that of the prime minister and his Cabinet - which is why a true resolution of the current impasse must await the formation of a new government that represents all of the country's major religious communities and political forces. But solving the riddle of the presidency could both prevent a dangerous escalation in tensions and begin to restore the trust eroded by last year's war with Israel and subsequent politicking. Suitable compromise candidates are available, and agreeing on one would allow the government and the opposition to escape the shadow of civil war long enough to address other facets of their dispute.
Buying time is necessary if the two camps are to reconcile before their squabbles plunge Lebanon into a new era of chaos. It will not be sufficient, however, unless both sides are serious about joining forces in a unity government whose members can work together to craft a realistic policy platform - and then cooperate effectively on its implementation. From administrative and judicial reform to undoing the damage of the war and revitalizing the economy, the country faces a long list of challenges. None of these will be overcome unless all parties set aside their differences for the sake of the people they purport to serve.
Only when such a government is in place and begins to demonstrate its cohesion and effectiveness will it be fair to evaluate of Berri's initiative. It is a good first step, though, and one that Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and his allies would do well to pursue with determination. The alternative was made clear by the speaker's acknowledgment that certain elements on both sides are preparing for the worst by arming and training young men who will slaughter one another if older ones cannot - or will not - come to their senses.
Each side has proven its mettle in a variety of ways, but both need to realize that neither is complete without the other. Like the population whose fate lies in their hands, they are an extremely heterogeneous lot - but not yet an irreparably divided one. Making good use of Berri's gambit would help put them on the right path toward reconciliation and national salvation. Wasting it can only push the country that much closer to an unwanted - and wholly unnecessary - disaster.
By The Daily Star
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&article_id=84959&categ_id=17
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