Lebanon PM-designate quits after Hezbollah refuses cabinet offers
Hariri abandons efforts after 10 weeks of trying to form gov't, says hopes decision will benefit Lebanon.
By Reuters Tags: Hezbollah LebanonLebanese prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri said on Thursday he was stepping down after more than 10 weeks of trying to form a unity government with opposition groups including Hezbollah.
"I announce to all Lebanese that I told President Suleiman today that I will step down from forming a government, in the hope that this decision will be for the benefit of Lebanon," Hariri said after a meeting with President Michel Suleiman.
Hariri, Lebanon's main Sunni politician, handed the president his proposed line-up for a national unity government on Monday in a move swiftly rejected by opposition factions including the powerful Hezbollah.
The Saudi- and U.S.-backed billionaire businessman, said he had held "rounds and rounds of consultations which always ended in obstruction". Leading opposition politician Gebran Bassil blamed Hariri for the failure.
Although Hariri's offer would give the opposition March 8 alliance one-third of the seats in cabinet, a senior source said: "We will not deal with this proposal because we know nothing about it. As far as we are concerned, it does not exist and we will have nothing to do with it."
His failure has fuelled concern over the potential for another protracted political crisis in Lebanon, where power struggles have brought long periods of government paralysis and violence in recent years.
Hariri, 39, is son of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, whose assassination in 2005 pushed Lebanon into its worst internal crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.He was designated prime minister in late June but has yet to reach agreement with the opposition on the new unity government set to include the Syria- and Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies.
Suleiman, who took office last year as a consensus candidate, was not expected to approve any cabinet proposal that does not have opposition support.
The rival alliances had agreed on the broad division of seats in the new cabinet but could not agree on the details of who should control which ministry. Hariri had refused to yield to the demands of Hezbollah ally Michel Aoun, leader of the biggest Christian bloc in parliament.
At the heart of the dispute was Aoun's demand that his son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, keep his job as telecoms minister. The telecoms sector has long been slated for reforms, including the privatization of two mobile phone firms.
"It is now clear to the Lebanese who is behind the delay," Bassil told Reuters, in reference to Hariri. "The theatre of obstruction that lasted 73 days has finished today," he said.
Analysts say extra pressure from influential regional states such as Saudi Arabia and Syria is needed to persuade their Lebanese allies to compromise. The draft proposal put forward by Hariri this week gave two seats in the new cabinet to Hezbollah, a heavily armed group listed as a terrorist organization by the United States.
The group, which has wide support among Lebanese Shi'ites, has one seat in the outgoing cabinet. The current government, led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, stays on in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed.
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Those with a memory extending more than a day or so into the past will remember what a celebrated cause the murder of Saad al-Hariri's father was in the west, particularly the right-wing west and Israel. His murder precipitated the 'cedar revolution' and subsequent eviction of Syria from Lebanon. Saad al-Hariri was by far the man whom liberal democracies would have wished to be the next Lebanese PM. He was not a phalange Fascist as preferred by Ariel Sharon and Ronald Reagan, but he was certainly not an Islamicist. Yet as he was trying to form a government, which HAD to include Hisbollah, Israel's right chose to foment a crisis with threats of war if Hizbollah were included. And Hizbollah was more than happy to capitalize upon that threat from Israel as Hizbollah was the only organization in Lebanon which had twice defeated Israel. By his loud mouth and shallow intellect, Netanyahu and his side-kick Lieberman managed to prevent the formation of a moderate government in Lebanon.
as always you will not post my comment, Seems you didnt get that these palestinians were forced by Israel to come to Lebanon. So why Lebanon should handle Israel mistake, why we should give them citizenship, only to please Israel? Anyway, i read daily haaretz and all comments, honestly, talking to you people is like talking to the wall, for you everything is allowed for israel even if it is wrong and nothing is allowed for others. I am a christian, beleive it or not , as u wish. But if i see an IDF in my christian area, i am gonna shoot him.
palestinians are from palestine, that is where they belong, and that is where they want and should return, it is their right, whether you agree or not does not change that.
every year or two a different prime-minister.
Just when it seems like there is no hope, your post comes along. Thank you for the hope that you represent and the spirits that you lift.
The Palestinians are Arabs like you living in your country so why do you keep them in refugee camps?
Thant on March 10, 2005, the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution recognizing "clear evidence" of "terrorist activities by Hezbollah...
Canada, and Australia....
Peace is the objective of civilized people. Shalom,
you have invited& allowed thugs to be in your same government that most probably assassinated his father. Who's responsible? Everyone? No one? Someone?
My Dear Libanais The world is full of refugee problems, all tragic. The Greeks had to take in Greeks from Turkey and Turkey, Turks from Greece. Pakistan had to take Muslims from India and India Hindus from Punjab and Bengal. All have long since got on with their lives with the help of their ethnic brothers. Lets set aside who is to blame for the initial displacement of Palestinian refugees or for the Jewish refugees from Lebanon and the rest of the Arab world. Just as the Jews took responsibility for the Jews, the Arabs will someday have to take responsibility for the Arabs. That showing of brotherly love to those with least hope, may be the beginning of a cultural change that will lead to more harmony among Arabs of various groups everywhere - Sunnis, Shias, Maronites, Alawis, even Druze and Kurds, and, one day inshallah, with the Jews.
your a good man !
First let me state that Hizbollah is only recognized as a "terrorist organization" by Israel, U.S., and England. I am not pro-Hizbollah but I will stress to Israelis and Americans alike that Hizbollah is not a terrorist organization like you claim. But let's put that debate aside for now because you will not convince me and I will not convince you. Having said that, Lebanon is not Hizbollah and Hizbollah is not Lebanon Mr. Alan. And why blame Lebanese for the misery of 400,000 Palestinian refugees and compare it to Israel absorbing Jewish refugees. Israel wanted Jewish people from all over the world to come to Israel so they can have a "Jewish State." All Lebanese wanted to have a peaceful coexixtence of its own people that have lived there for 1000 years, maronites, druze, sunni and shia. Palestinians had lived to our south before they became refugees after the "catastrophe." So your argument doesnt stand a chance.
Actually Hizbullah is quite Iranian. Iran makes huge investments in Hizbullah (at the cost of Iran's population), so naturally Hizbullah better act exactly as Iran wishes - and it does.
hi from morocco, the arab country must recognize israel quicly, as musulman i know that will be hard for the people in the first time, but after i am sure the problems of the mid-east will be resolved more peacefully. we have to accept that israel as any arab country have the right to exist and the defend it self.We have more in commun with the jewish than any europeen or asian country. Just we have to do is to make the first step and the government of israel will be more comprehensif and make some sacrifices. we tried war, why not trying peace now ?
you talk about hisballa as if they are foreign body in the lebanese society, actually they are as lebanese as they can be, and they are the ones who live the closest to your border, so if you really seek peace, you should respect lifes, properties and dignity, specially those of your immediate neighbors.
I belive that Lebanon has more interests in common with Israel than with Hizbollah terrorists - most Lebanese want to live in peace and prosperity, friendly borders, millions of tourists and normal lives. This is not what Hizbollah wants. The miserable conditions of the Palestinians in Lebanon are due to Lebanon's refusal to give them citizenship and a chance for a decent life (as Israel did with the almost million Jews kicked out of Arab countries). You forget that Lebanon allowed these palestinians to use your country as a springboard for attacking Israel and Israelis. It is in the interest of all Israelis and all peace-loving Lebanese kick Hizbollah out as far away as possible from Lebanon. Peace between us would benefit all of us.
sorry, there is no 'occupation' except in your mind. Face it-----Hizbullah is Lebanon and Lebanon is now Hizbullah.
The 'opposition' that you claim the majority for despite the fact that they lost the election (pretty fair ones we hear) is really the 'opposition' to Lebanon as an independent country. The victorious coalition has its face to a more modern peaceful Lebanon. Not a garrison state acting as a forward base for the Shiite/Alawi axis, who have brought nothing but tears and destruction to a small but lovely country with a rich and varied texture. As to the Palestinians - as you know it is Lebanese law that keeps them miserable in those camps. They cannot own land, cannot have citizenship, cannot have certain jobs. Open the gates of the camps. Let them live and thrive just as Israel did with the 100,000s of Jewishe refugees from Arab countries (including Lebanon) who now integrated and part of Israeli society. They are your brothers. You have a moral responsibility.
The majority of Lebanese voted for the opposition which lost the election due to district constraints. The majority of Lebanese are not interested in what Israelis and Americans want for their own selfish interest. The majority of Lebanese do not want to end up being occupied like Palestinians. The majority of Lebanese voted for resistance of occupation. If U.S. and Israeli interest give the Lebanese true freedom from brutal American and Israeli manipulations like the do with all the other Arab states, then the majority of Lebanese will vote for such government. As it stands now, we have 400,000 miserable Palestinian refugees living in miserable conditions because of the brutality of Israelis and their Jordanian "friends."
its a mixed place, although the lebanese try to portray the image that there is a lebanon, there isn't one. Lebanon is a place where people live and try and get along. Its a location not a nation or a country. People identify themselves by their religion even if they don't believe in their religion. Its an identity issue. So when they introduce themselves they don't say "hello I'm lebanese" they go "hello i'm shiite, or hello i'm maronite"... and so on. it really sucks that they do that, why do they do that? it only helps creates division in society.
This does not bold well for stability in the Mid-east... With Hezbollah re-arming and rejecting a unity government... It seems that Hezbollah are the real power in lebbanon and thier goal of war with Israel will most likely come to furision in the near future. Hezbollah needs to make war with Israel every few years to maintain their status quo of the guise of resistance that eneded years ago... The doors to peace are closing and the ones to war are the only ones left.
The stepping down of Harari is just another indication of the chronic political sickness of the Leganese government and society. With strong sectors vying for power at the expense of the other, the national interest always loses out and will revert to terror and violence. Now with Hizbollah as a major armed player we can expect another period of unrest in which the Lebanese people and economy are the biggest losers. Mixing religion and politics is a fatal brew.