AMERICAN LEBANESE COORDINATION COUNCIL

Lebanon Will Finally Have A President on Sunday

Posted in NEWS & ANALYSIS by Administrator on the May 23rd, 2008
Parliament will convene on Sunday to elect army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman President after Lebanese leaders reached a deal in Qatar that ends the country’s 18-month-old political crisis, but also gives the Hizbullah-led opposition veto power over government decisions.
The deal, reached on Wednesday with the help of Arab mediators, was immediately praised by Iran and Syria, which back Hizbullah. But it appears certain to accelerate fears in the West over Hizbullah’s new power.

Parliament majority leader Saad Hariri seemed to acknowledge his side had largely caved in, spurred by a sharp outbreak of violence in May after months of stalemate.

“I know that the wounds are deep and my injury is deep, but we only have each other to build Lebanon,” he said after the announcement of the agreement, which was brokered after five days of talks in Qatar.

The various political leaders also acknowledged making compromises but justified them as essential to preventing a civil war.

Beirut residents were quick to show optimism in the deal. Yet, they acknowledged that the crisis probably wasn’t settled.

Some believed the agreement was a long truce to avert a civil war that was almost going to flare this month. Others, however, hoped it might improve life in Beirut as the opposition began dismantling a protest of sprawling tents in the downtown area soon after the deal was announced.

Lebanese leaders returned Wednesday evening to Beirut aboard a Qatari plane.

Press reports on Thursday said Speaker Nabih Berri had a long chat with Druze leader Walid Jumblat on the plane. They said Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun sat next to former President Amin Gemayel, while Lebanese Forces official George Adwan sat beside FPM executive Jubran Bassil.
 
Beirut, 22 May 08, 07:45

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