Hussein Assi
Hariri, who spent seventy-five days seeking to form a so-called "partnership" cabinet but couldn't, simply decided to "step down" and therefore, announce the "collapse" of all accords and agreements..
The former PM-Designate failed to achieve his mission and his "partnership" cabinet didn't see light despite the intensive "formal" consultations he held, in Lebanon and outside it, since his appointment…
Hariri, who seems to be the luckiest person to return to the post, failed to transform his "words" into "acts"…
Thus, Hariri, who spent most of the seventy-five past days praising his "promised" cabinet and went too far until even announcing the cabinet's "platform," failed to simply form the cabinet despite agreement was reached on the formula and general outlines…
However, the "miracle" didn't happen and the cabinet didn't see light…
Even more, Hariri's close sources claim these days that after his stepping down, the crisis returned to square one, hinting that the 15-10-5 formula was to be re-considered and that the loyalty is not even interested in "abandoning" its "right" in the two-thirds of the cabinet's seats…
But the story seems to be more complicated…
It's linked to a foreign "green light" that's still lost, and therefore all internal consultation seem to be part of a systematic plot against the Lebanese consensus, amid American calls for a "majority rule" in Lebanon…
HARIRI TO BE RE-APPOINTED AS PM-DESIGNATE
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, meanwhile, is expected to return from Beiteddine summer residence to the Baabda presidential palace over the weekend after he set a date for two days of parliamentary consultations which will start on Tuesday.
Sources close to Hariri told Lebanese daily An-Nahar that the MP is now assessing the next stage and has launched consultations with his bloc and will hold a series of talks with his allies in the March 14 forces to see whether to accept a new nomination or not.
On the opposition front, the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Michel Aoun returned to Beirut Thursday night while Lebanese daily As-Safir said that a tripartite meeting could be held between Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah. MP Sleiman Franjieh could also join the three opposition leaders if he decides to cut his trip short and return to Beirut.
JUMBLATT WILL ONLY JOIN NATIONAL-UNITY CABINET
Meanwhile, and at the time some majority sources were hinting that if Hariri was named premier again, he would change the rules of the game and even the 15-10-5 formula that all politicians had previously agreed on, the head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt was highlighting the fact that he would only join a national-unity cabinet.
Jumblatt stressed that he would not join a new government if it was not a national unity cabinet and said external forces have an interest in keeping the political crisis in the country. He told Lebanese daily As-Safir that he will not be part of a government unless it has the slogan of "national unity" and said that the majority will rename Hariri as premier. He also stressed on the previously agreed cabinet formula of 15-10-5.
The Progressive Socialist Party leader accused some American and Arab circles of rejecting an understanding between Riyadh and Damascus. "The Americans were able to create chaos … They want to liquidate the Palestinian cause the same way there are those who want sectarian strife to shred Lebanon apart," Jumblatt told As-Safir.
RIYADH ASKED HARIRI VIA ARIDI NOT TO RUSH IN DECISION TO STEP DOWN
As-Safir said that Saudi officials told Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi to inform MP Saad Hariri not to rush in his decision to step down as prime minister-designate.
According to the newspaper, Aridi got the impression that Saudi Arabia is aware of the dangers of a vacuum in Lebanon and wants Hariri to succeed in his mission to form a government that would be able to protect Lebanon from regional developments.
As-Safir said that the Saudis asked Hariri through Aridi not to rush in his decision to bow out. Yet, Hariri went ahead with his decision.
QATAR READY TO HELP LEBANON FORM CABINET
Meanwhile, and in a remarkable development reminding Lebanese of the Qatari initiative to end the void in the first Presidency, Qatar offered to host further inter-Lebanese talks after prime minister-designate Saad Hariri gave up on forming a government.
Qatari Prime and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Ben Jassem Ben Jabr al-Thani made the offer after Hariri stepped down as prime minister designate. "We hope that the Lebanese will find a solution but we are ready to help them if that becomes necessary," Sheikh Hamad said after talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"We expect current talks reach a positive result with the opposition and end up with consensus. In Lebanon, everything must be done by consensus," he said.
UN, US HOPEFUL NEW GOV'T WOULD SEE LIGHT SOON
In contrast, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed regret Thursday that, three months after elections, Lebanon's political parties are still unable to find agreement on a unity government.
"The Secretary-General regrets that at the moment it has proven impossible to form a new government in Lebanon," UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe said. "He hopes that the consultations that President Michel Suleiman will hold with all parties will be successful and that the Lebanese continue working towards the goal of a unity government."
The United States voiced in turn hope that a new government could be decided soon in Lebanon but said it had "no immediate" concern about the delay in forming one.
"We hope that both sides will resolve the impasse quickly and respect the process that's outlined in the Lebanese constitution to put together a government," the State Department's Philip J. Crowley said. "We would like to see a government put in place sooner rather than later," the assistant secretary of state for public affairs said. "I don't think we have an immediate concern, but we certainly hope all the parties in Lebanon will engage peacefully and appropriately because it's important that they put a government in place."
French ambassador Andre Parant said that Syria is a key to resolving many problems in the region, including Lebanon, adding that local-external factors are hindering the government formation process. "I don't want to blame anyone. But, it is difficult for external (powers) to understand why there hasn't been agreement on the lineup that has respected the agreed-upon principles," he told Lebanese dailies An-Nahar, As-Safir and L'Orient le Jour. He hoped the cabinet crisis would be resolved without foreign meddling.
Diplomatic sources told Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar that France will not call on Syria to interfere to solve the crisis, based on its rejection for any foreign meddling in Lebanon.
Sheikh Qassem to New PM-Designate: Benefit from Your Predecessor's Experience
"... a turn for the absurd"
FP/ here
" .... But Hariri, along with his allies in Saudi Arabia and the United States, are leery of forming a partisan government set up in opposition to Hezbollah. As in 2008, such a move would risk a downward spiral of recrimination and violence, culminating in Hezbollah using its superior force to settle the matter. Hariri, prevented from even threatening to form a March 14-only government, has been robbed of the leverage that his parliamentary majority should give him in the negotiations over the form of the government.
While there is no shortage of sideshows in Lebanon, the fundamental issue remains that the country's two poles, Saad Hariri and Hassan Nasrallah, have yet come to an agreement over the distribution of political power. Under Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Saad's father, Hezbollah was willing to leave economic policy to Hariri in exchange for free reign to maintain its military, social and economic preeminence in South Lebanon.
But following the armed confrontation in May 2008, which pitted Hariri's supporters against Hezbollah in Beirut, Hezbollah does not have sufficient confidence in Saad Hariri to give him the same latitude. If these two actors fail to reach a modus vivendi, Lebanese politics will likely swing once again from absurd to tragic."
" .... But Hariri, along with his allies in Saudi Arabia and the United States, are leery of forming a partisan government set up in opposition to Hezbollah. As in 2008, such a move would risk a downward spiral of recrimination and violence, culminating in Hezbollah using its superior force to settle the matter. Hariri, prevented from even threatening to form a March 14-only government, has been robbed of the leverage that his parliamentary majority should give him in the negotiations over the form of the government.
While there is no shortage of sideshows in Lebanon, the fundamental issue remains that the country's two poles, Saad Hariri and Hassan Nasrallah, have yet come to an agreement over the distribution of political power. Under Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Saad's father, Hezbollah was willing to leave economic policy to Hariri in exchange for free reign to maintain its military, social and economic preeminence in South Lebanon.
But following the armed confrontation in May 2008, which pitted Hariri's supporters against Hezbollah in Beirut, Hezbollah does not have sufficient confidence in Saad Hariri to give him the same latitude. If these two actors fail to reach a modus vivendi, Lebanese politics will likely swing once again from absurd to tragic."
Posted by G, Z, & or B at 4:36 PM
here
"Ammar Houri told Voice of Lebanon radio station on Friday that designating Saad Hariri anew for Prime Ministry depended on his own will to go for it again. He pointed out that Hariri would hold consultations with his bloc and his March 14 allies to decide over the designation. Houri blamed the opposition for the Cabinet stalemate,..."
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