The trust between citizen and state is shaky.

Friday, Jul 24 2009

The regional changes in these times are heading towards a certain amount of stability and understanding with deals being made which will undoubtedly have effects on the Lebanese interior. The standstill in the Lebanese political scene stands in stark conflict to the needs of the country regarding the creation of the new government to undertake the burden of the country and its people.

Since his appointment of Saad Hariri in charge of the formation of the new government, President Suleiman has called on all the political powers to cooperate in this important matter. Despite the fact that there is no time limit in the constitution for the leader to carry out this duty, there is still a message in the President's stance, particularly as more days are passing. Here we are, four weeks after the appointment of Saad Hariri with no change whatsoever to the political scene. It is true that communications are taking place, however, the lethargy and relaxation of those involved is an obstacle to the formation of the new government. The president cannot apologize to the leader appointed with creating the government because this would be outside the powers granted to him by the Taef accord, something which also goes back to the nature of the Doha agreement, meaning that the president finds himself in the middle of a problem with no way out. This is the situation being faced by the two sides, the ruling authority and the opposition, who have monopolized the political scene for the past four years. Some of the plans and schemes are at odds with national interests, and these alignments have proved to be extremely tiresome for the country's morale. Though it remains possible to deal with a government which includes the two sides in the conflict, the current reality comes back to assure us that the country will not witness a new political era. There is an urgent need for the power of the civil society, the institutions, the prominent confessional figures and the independent figures to monitor the actions of the government and to realize the wishes of the people in a way which depends on a democratic system. However, it seems that Lebanon's political layer, even after its bitter experiences, has not yet reached maturity and has not adopted a unified homogeneous approach in harmony with the constitutional concepts which we believe the Lebanese system to be based upon.

Since our decision to boycott the recent parliamentary elections, for reasons which we have mentioned before, the National Dialogue Party sees the necessity of establishing the basis for an integrated project, even if this is by way of political opposition, which will pave the way for a comprehensive national awakening, working to address the key issues and problems of the Lebanese people, both internal and external, starting with the crisis of government, and onto the electoral law, Syrian-Lebanese relations and the issue of the resistance and its weapons. Likewise, we need to work seriously to deal with the economic situation for the sake of solving the problem of the general debt and meeting its repayments.

We feel that the opportunity is favourable for a serious look at dealing with change, renewal and conciliation. If this does not occur, then we will remain hostages to regional and international circumstances. The sound Lebanese mind is one which can build its civil peace on the basis of the constitution; a solid foundation which will not be shaken with each regional or international movement whose consequences reach Lebanon and attempt to turn it into an open arena for competition over the interests of the major global players. The opposition needs to recognize that when it decides to participate in government it will be accountable to the people and will no longer be opposed to but rather in the ranks of the government forces, exercising its role under the banner of the constitution and in peace. It is incumbent upon the current ruling authority to take into consideration the overall national interest, and to realize that the national issues are serious and that resistance is absolutely necessary. This is particularly the case following the announcement by Netanyahu of his plan for a Palestinian state and in the shadow of the Israeli preparations and military exercises which seem aimed at undertaking action which will change the balance of power in the region which, in turn, threatens the balance of power within Lebanon. This certainly makes it imperative for any government to draw up an overall strategy for Lebanon to deal with the urgent changes in the region.

It is crucial for the leader appointed with the formation of the government, Mr. Saad Hariri, to place a limit on the waiting period, as it is not feasible for the Lebanese people to remain in limbo for the results of the discussions taking place in the region relating to key issues. This waiting will not help solve the internal conflicts. The majority of the Lebanese people realize that there will be no change in the Lebanese structure – no matter how big the problems get, everyone will go back to the dialogue table in the knowledge that reciprocal concessions are the way to civil peace. Cooperation, which the PM designate talks much of, calls for movement which goes beyond discussions and into the actual government formation because the next phase brings with it many challenges for Lebanon. Who will stop Saad Hariri from carrying out his duty? What is the role of his followers in stopping this government from seeing the light of day? Saad Hariri's 'follower', Minister Jumblatt, has shown Saad Hariri the way early on, through his insistence that he differentiate between the international tribunal and the accusations against Syria surrounding the assassination of his father since 2005, and his role as the leader of Lebanon's government. Saad Hariri needs to visit Syria and to reinstate good relations between both countries. All this came about following Jumblatt's realization that there is no way of saving Lebanon except through sorting out its relations with Syria on the one hand and supporting the resistance in internal political conflicts on the other, separate from the game of nations. Because Saad Hariri is in charge of the formation of the government for all of Lebanon, he has to create a unified local national force rather than personal, factional or confessional forces. So we remain in this situation, unnerved at the road being followed with regards to the economic situation. The previous government, that is the national unity government, ignored the global economic crisis and held the country hostage to the effects of this global devastation without doing anything; we feel that what is currently taking place likewise does not bode well. Does the Prime Minister designate believe that he can continue with such delays for an unspecified amount of time?

The Lebanese people are dealing with crises in most areas across the country. In Beirut, the electrical supply is still a problem, with nightly power cuts. This is taking place despite the fact that this sector has cost the country over $11 billion, and constitutes an important part of the general debt which seems to be ever-rising. So how can we clear the administrations and institutions from the decay of corruption? And, more importantly, if Electricite du Liban is suffering a continued breakdown, with a cost of around 12.5 billion dollars, who will buy such a failed company (unless there are new plans afoot, the details of which no one knows but the highest echelons of power and their followers in administration)?

Finally, we at the National Dialogue Party feel the need to issue a warning that the confidence between citizen and government is shaky and that this is a dangerous matter, the effects of which reach into the whole political structure, a political structure which does not care about the people, the country or the concept of the state. We call on the Lebanese citizens of all faiths and sects, to hold on to their civil peace no matter how fierce the competition over the governmental seats gets.