Lebanon's new cabinet still in absence as negotiations continue
Lebanon's new cabinet still in absence as negotiations continue
11:09, November 05, 2009 
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Almost five months has passed since Lebanese parliamentary election in early June, but the country is still technically without a government, as the negotiations between the majority and the opposition seem to be stuck into a deadlock.
In June, Lebanon's western- and Saudi-backed March 14 Alliance won the majority in the elections over the Hezbollah-dominant March 8 Alliance supported by Iran and Syria.
Saad Hariri, son of the assassinated former prime minister Rafic Hariri, was designated as prime minister in late June, and began his thorny mission of forming a national unity government including the opposition.
So far, Hariri has not accomplish this mission, though he once presented a cabinet lineup proposal to President Suleiman in September, but it was rejected by the opposition as it failed to meet their demands on portfolios.
Hariri resigned as prime minister-designate, but reappointed only one week later.
The latest optimism over the imminent formation of a new government was dashed out on Wednesday as one of the opposition Christian leader Michel Aoun refused Hariri's offer for five seatsin the new cabinet, including the telecommunications and energy ministries. There were some reports earlier this week that the cabinet was expected to be formed on Thursday.
The major obstacle for the cabinet formation lies in the bargaining of portfolios between Hariri and Michel Aoun, a Christian ally of Hezbollah. Aoun insisted his demands in the new cabinet must be met, especially the ministry of telecommunications. Aoun also demanded the Justice Ministry if his demands of telecommunications ministry is abandoned.
The rival blocs have reached a compromise at the beginning of the negotiations that in the total 30 seats of the new cabinet, 15will go to the majority, 10 to the opposition and five to Suleiman.
However, the majority and opposition can not agree on the key some posts, such as telecommunications minister and justice minister.
In the last four months, the time-table of the new cabinet updated many times, but no tangible result came out.
"It is always difficult to form a government in Lebanon," said Hilal Khashan, a professor with department of political studies and public administration of Beirut American University.
"Lebanon has a crisis political system -- it's not important who win the election. The majority is an empty majority if they don't gain support from the opposition," he said.
Khashan said Lebanon's political system is a replication of western democracy, however, its culture is more oriental. It is a collective politics, rather than individual.
As a tiny Mediterranean state with a population of 4 million, Lebanon has 19 religions, but only limited political resources offer to them. To make compromise between different sects, is always a hard work.
Khashan said the present situation is similar to the cabinet-forming crisis in 1969, when the former prime minister took more than eight months to form a cabinet, after he made a compromise with the Palestinians.
Worries over the security situation mounted as Lebanon sees sporadic incidents recently, including rockets fired toward Israel last week, the discovery of the Israeli espionage devices and the suspected rocket explosion in Teirfelsay in the residence of a Hezbollah official last October, which raised tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border.
An Al-Qaida-linked group claimed responsibility of the rocket launch. Hezbollah denied the blast was caused by a rocket.
"They are indications of destabilization," said public policy consultant and political analyst Rabih el-Chaer, referring to these incidents, "Lebanon needs a new cabinet as soon as possible ,in a bid to tackle these challenges. How can you govern a state without a government?"
The present government led by Faoud Siniora is only a caretaker government which cannot make administrative appointments or decisions.
"A government can tackle the external terrorists threats, and prevent the potential internal clashes between different parties," said Chaer.
Source: Xinhua
In June, Lebanon's western- and Saudi-backed March 14 Alliance won the majority in the elections over the Hezbollah-dominant March 8 Alliance supported by Iran and Syria.
Saad Hariri, son of the assassinated former prime minister Rafic Hariri, was designated as prime minister in late June, and began his thorny mission of forming a national unity government including the opposition.
So far, Hariri has not accomplish this mission, though he once presented a cabinet lineup proposal to President Suleiman in September, but it was rejected by the opposition as it failed to meet their demands on portfolios.
Hariri resigned as prime minister-designate, but reappointed only one week later.
The latest optimism over the imminent formation of a new government was dashed out on Wednesday as one of the opposition Christian leader Michel Aoun refused Hariri's offer for five seatsin the new cabinet, including the telecommunications and energy ministries. There were some reports earlier this week that the cabinet was expected to be formed on Thursday.
The major obstacle for the cabinet formation lies in the bargaining of portfolios between Hariri and Michel Aoun, a Christian ally of Hezbollah. Aoun insisted his demands in the new cabinet must be met, especially the ministry of telecommunications. Aoun also demanded the Justice Ministry if his demands of telecommunications ministry is abandoned.
The rival blocs have reached a compromise at the beginning of the negotiations that in the total 30 seats of the new cabinet, 15will go to the majority, 10 to the opposition and five to Suleiman.
However, the majority and opposition can not agree on the key some posts, such as telecommunications minister and justice minister.
In the last four months, the time-table of the new cabinet updated many times, but no tangible result came out.
"It is always difficult to form a government in Lebanon," said Hilal Khashan, a professor with department of political studies and public administration of Beirut American University.
"Lebanon has a crisis political system -- it's not important who win the election. The majority is an empty majority if they don't gain support from the opposition," he said.
Khashan said Lebanon's political system is a replication of western democracy, however, its culture is more oriental. It is a collective politics, rather than individual.
As a tiny Mediterranean state with a population of 4 million, Lebanon has 19 religions, but only limited political resources offer to them. To make compromise between different sects, is always a hard work.
Khashan said the present situation is similar to the cabinet-forming crisis in 1969, when the former prime minister took more than eight months to form a cabinet, after he made a compromise with the Palestinians.
Worries over the security situation mounted as Lebanon sees sporadic incidents recently, including rockets fired toward Israel last week, the discovery of the Israeli espionage devices and the suspected rocket explosion in Teirfelsay in the residence of a Hezbollah official last October, which raised tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border.
An Al-Qaida-linked group claimed responsibility of the rocket launch. Hezbollah denied the blast was caused by a rocket.
"They are indications of destabilization," said public policy consultant and political analyst Rabih el-Chaer, referring to these incidents, "Lebanon needs a new cabinet as soon as possible ,in a bid to tackle these challenges. How can you govern a state without a government?"
The present government led by Faoud Siniora is only a caretaker government which cannot make administrative appointments or decisions.
"A government can tackle the external terrorists threats, and prevent the potential internal clashes between different parties," said Chaer.
Source: Xinhua
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