Lebanese gov't drafts law to let army head be president
Opposition condemns move to elect General Suleiman as presient, saying it would intensify country's political deadlock.
By Reuters Tags: LebanonLebanon's government drafted a law on Monday to amend the constitution to allow the army chief to become president, but the opposition condemned the move and said it would intensify the country's political deadlock.
The Western-backed government and pro-Syrian opposition agree in principle on the election of General Michel Suleiman as president, but the opposition wants guarantees it will have veto power in a future coalition cabinet before a full deal. The government wants Suleiman elected first.
Neither the anti-Syrian governing coalition nor the Hezbollah-led opposition have enough seats in parliament to secure a two-thirds quorum for the election, delayed repeatedly since Sept. 25.
The presidency has been vacant since pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud's term ended four weeks ago.
An article in the constitution bans senior public servants from running for office. The opposition says however no constitutional amendment is necessary and in any case considers the government and any decisions it takes illegitimate since its own ministers resigned last year.
Ali Hassan Khalil, adviser to opposition leader and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, said of the draft amendment: "This escalation indicates the intention to obstruct a deal and the closing of doors for any initiatives."
Theoretically the draft law passes to parliament for approval. But Khalil said Berri would not receive the draft law because he considers the government unconstitutional.
Berri was quoted as telling the pro-Syrian Ad-Diyar newspaper that electing Suleiman did not require a constitutional amendment and that he would continue to call parliamentary sessions to try to elect a president.
Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said after reading out the government's decision: "The government considers itself legitimate and constitutional and cannot give up its responsibilities and the performance of its duties."
Berri last week postponed the parliamentary election vote for the tenth time, to Dec. 29. The crisis is viewed as Lebanon's most serious internal political confrontation since the 1975-1990 civil war.
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Assad, the weasel of the Middle East, is contributing lavishly to the legacy of lunacy of a host of totally incompetent Middle Eastern dictators that literally can't run their country properly if you paid them to! In fact, he along with these other failed leaders are even giving men a bad name. Too bad Islam doesn't look too kindly on sharing governance with their womenfolk, several of whom in Syria I'm sure would be able to do a proper job and reverse this embarassing trend.
the west would not have encouraged this move, which as hussy assures is certain to deepen lebanon's 'crisis,' unless it had plans of its own. it grows increasingly clear that the eu and us plan to put an end to the influence of cretinous iranian and south lebanese theocrats, along with their psychopat syrian henchmen, once and for all. expect a luxuriant hail of missiles and bombs to rain down on iran, syria and all hussy strongholds by summer. at long last the region will be free to flourish and enter the 20th century, a mere decade behind the progressive societies to the north.
FIRST give the general 24hr protection, THEN vote the law to allow him to become head of state, otherwise you'll run out of generals soon!