Press review 18-2-2014

Press review 18‐2‐20147 The Daily Star Optimism high for Cabinet policy talks http://bit.ly/N5jIIb By Hussein Dakroub The Daily Star BEIRUT: The new Cabinet holds its first meeting at Baabda Palace Tuesday as signs emerged that the rival factions are ready to compromise over the policy statement, a contentious issue that could paralyze the government’s work if left unresolved, political sources said Monday. Prime Minister Tammam Salam Monday officially assumed his duties at the Grand Serail, where he met separately with U.S. Ambassador David Hale and British Ambassador Tom Fletcher, both of whom expressed their countries’ support for Salam’s 24‐member Cabinet. Salam announced a 24‐member Cabinet of “national interest” Saturday, equally divided between the March 8 and March 14 coalitions and centrists, after 10 months of political deadlock, the longest in Lebanon’s history. “Like their compromise that led to the formation of an 8‐8‐8 Cabinet, the March 8 and March 14 camps will probably compromise over the wording of the policy statement in a bid to prevent the thorny issue from posing a major obstacle in the way of the government’s work,” a political source said. A source close to Salam concurred, telling The Daily Star: “No trouble is expected in drafting the Cabinet’s policy statement.” To be chaired by President Michel Sleiman, the Cabinet session, slated to begin at 11 a.m., will focus on the formation of a committee to draft the government’s policy statement. The committee is expected to include ministers from the Hezbollah‐led March 8 alliance and the March 14 coalition, which are poles apart over what policy statement the Cabinet should adopt. The committee will also include representatives from the centrist bloc, which refers to ministers loyal to Sleiman, Salam and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt. The Future Movement and its March 14 allies are pressing for the Baabda Declaration to be adopted as the new Cabinet’s policy statement. They have called for abolishing altogether Hezbollah’s tripartite formula of “the Army, the people and the resistance” that has been adopted by previous governments as a way of legitimizing the group’s armed resistance against Israel’s threats to Lebanon. Hezbollah, backed by Speaker Nabih Berri and March 8 allies, insists that the tripartite formula remain in the new Cabinet’s policy statement. As a way out of the stalemate, the ministerial committee is expected to recommend the adoption of policy statements of previous governments as well as the decisions of the National Dialogue Committee, including the Baabda Declaration, the political source said. The endorsement of a policy statement is essential before the Cabinet can go to Parliament to seek a vote of confidence. With the majority of parties represented in it, the Cabinet is assured of easily winning a confidence vote from Parliament’s 128 members. March 14 parties accuse Hezbollah of violating the Baabda Declaration with its military intervention in Syria. The declaration calls for distancing Lebanon from regional and international conflicts, particularly the conflict in Syria. March 14 MP Boutros Harb, the new telecommunications minister, threatened to withdraw from the Cabinet unless the Baabda Declaration was adopted in the policy statement. In remarks published by An‐Nahar newspaper Monday, Harb said it was totally out of the question for the March 14 coalition to accept “the Army, the people and the resistance” formula following Hezbollah’s military involvement in the war in Syria. “We will only accept the Baabda Declaration in the [Cabinet’s] policy statement,” he said. Sleiman and Berri called for a swift resolution to the policy statement in order for the Cabinet to begin addressing security threats and a worsening economic crisis arising from the repercussions of the three‐year war in Syria. Sleiman expressed hope the new Cabinet would waste no time in drafting its policy statement. He said the Cabinet should begin its duties immediately to compensate for the long delay in forming the government. “I think the unified efforts that contributed to the [Cabinet] formation will continue throughout the next phase, because [these efforts] presented the country in a positive image, especially when leaders reach a consensus,” Sleiman, said. For his part, Berri said the formation of the Cabinet was bound to reduce political tensions and open the door for reviving National Dialogue. He called on the Cabinet to finalize its policy statement in order for it to win Parliament’s confidence vote and begin confronting economic and security challenges, including the threat of terrorism. “The Cabinet must confront terrorism which will not stop despite the arrest of some of its symbols and the thwarting of some [car bomb] attempts,” Berri said during a Sunday dinner in Kuwait hosted by the Lebanese ambassador in his honor. Speaking after his first meeting with Salam as prime minister, Hale described the talks as positive, reiterating U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks in welcoming the formation of the government, which has yet to win a vote of confidence in Parliament. The U.S. ambassador also said Washington was ready to work with Salam, advance bilateral relations and help Lebanon face its many challenges, including maintaining neutrality in the face of the war in Syria and addressing issue of more than 1 million Syrian refugees who have fled to Lebanon since the uprising in Syria began in March 2011. “Foremost among the challenges are promoting Lebanon’s policy of dissociation from the conflict in Syria, ending terrorist acts and violence, helping Lebanese communities cope with the refugees from Syria, and protecting the opportunity for the Lebanese to choose their own leaders, as president and in Parliament, freely, fairly, on time, and in accordance with Lebanon’s constitution,” the ambassador said in a statement released by the U.S. Embassy. Speaking to reporters after meeting Salam at the Grand Serail, Fletcher said he conveyed British Prime Minister David Cameron’s personal congratulations to the premier, saying agreement among rival politicians was a sign that the leaders aim at confronting division and extremism. “There is no time to waste, and we should all work to achieve what the Lebanese aspire to: stability, independence and a bright future,” he said. Jumblatt said he hoped the new Cabinet would be able to defuse tensions in Lebanon and set the stage for the presidential election. “We hope the government will help organize political disputes by taking them from the tense streets to the Cabinet table,” Jumblatt said in his weekly column published by the PSP‐affiliated online Al‐Anbaa newspaper. He said the government should work to hold the presidential election on time and to confront the security risks facing the country. “One of the main missions of the new Cabinet is to create the right atmosphere for holding the presidential election on time in order to prevent the country [from] falling into a vacuum,” Jumblatt added. Aoun says met with Hariri, Nasrallah http://bit.ly/1cUigPi BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said Monday he had met recently with former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah in an attempt to reconcile conflicting views between the two main rival factions. In an interview on the FPM’s official Facebook page, Aoun said: “Certainly, anyone who wants to undertake a mediation attempt to reconcile viewpoints between opposing sides should talk to all the parties. Based on this, I had met with [former] Prime Minister Saad Hariri and also with Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah.” However, Aoun did not say where he met Hariri, head of the Future Movement, who has been living out of Lebanon for more than two years for security reasons, or what was discussed during the meeting. The FPM leader’s previous meetings with Nasrallah were held at the latter’s house in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Aoun and Nasrallah signed a memorandum of understanding in February 2006 as part of their political alliance. Aoun’s rare meeting with Hariri was followed by a major breakthrough in the Cabinet formation last month when the head of the Future Movement said he was ready to share power with Hezbollah in a coalition government. Also, contacts between the Future Movement and the FPM resulted in a compromise between the two sides to resolve the row over the rotation of ministerial portfolios, which held up the Cabinet formation for weeks. Aoun said he expected the presidential election, scheduled in May, to be held on time. In recent weeks, FPM lawmakers have held a series of meetings with various political parties, including the Future Movement, in a bid the MPs said was to promote understanding among rival factions. However, Aoun’s political opponents claim that the FPM lawmakers’ moves were aimed at promoting the chances of the FPM leader in the forthcoming presidential election. Ahmad Hariri: New Cabinet an ‘achievement for all’ http://bit.ly/1f8pQM7 By Kareem Shaheen The Daily Star BEIRUT: The formation of the new government is an achievement for all of Lebanon and has returned the country to a time when Hezbollah did not have a veto over Cabinet policy, the Future Movement’s secretary‐general told The Daily Star. Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria will also guarantee the party’s military defeat and herald its end as a powerful force in Lebanon, Ahmad Hariri said. In an interview with The Daily Star hours after the announcement of a new Lebanese government Saturday, Hariri discussed his party’s policy priorities, the coming battle over the ministerial policy statement, presidential elections, relations with Hezbollah and the start of trial at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Hariri described the Cabinet formation as “an achievement for all the Lebanese” who had suffered due to the instability brought about by Hezbollah’s participation in the war in Syria. He said the Future Movement agreed to join the Cabinet to ensure presidential elections happened on time. While the Cabinet does not have a “magic wand,” he said, it will strive to stop the social, economic and security decline in Lebanon. Hariri also said the Cabinet formation had major political implications. The new government ended the era of what he described as the “coup government” of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, returning Lebanon to what he called the “pre‐May 7” era. Hezbollah fighters seized control of West Beirut on May 7, 2008, after months of political paralysis prompted by an attempt by Fouad Siniora’s government to shut down the party’s telecommunications network. The fallout from the crisis led to the Doha Agreement, which gave Hezbollah and its allies a blocking third of the seats in the Cabinet under the understanding that it would not use that advantage to topple the government. But Hezbollah‐allied ministers walked out of Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s government in January 2011 due to disagreements over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the court prosecuting those responsible for former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination, which was widely expected to indict members of Hezbollah. Hailing the new Cabinet, Ahmad Hariri said: “Every step we take that returns prestige to the state is a victory for our movement.” He also addressed criticisms by his party’s popular base over its decision to form a government with Hezbollah. The Future Movement previously maintained that Hezbollah’s withdrawal from Syria was a precondition to forming a government. But Hariri said the Future Movement knew it would not be able to change Hezbollah’s position. “In politics we have to prioritize mind over emotion,” he said, adding that the move stemmed out of pragmatism in order to protect Lebanon from dangers that included suicide bombers and rising extremism. However, Hariri described Hezbollah as “another side of the coin” to the fundamentalist groups fighting in Syria. “What is happening in Syria is a devastating sectarian war between Sunni extremists and Shiite extremists,” he said. “We are outside this scene, and we fight against it.” In addition, Hariri said that Hezbollah’s participation in the Syria was strategically beneficial to its opponents in Lebanon. “Hezbollah’s participation in Syria is the beginning of the end of that party – militarily and morally and with their own hands,” he said. “They went themselves to a bloody quagmire [from which] they will not emerge victorious.” Hariri said it was apparent that it was impossible to conduct a dialogue with Hezbollah “as long as it looks upon other Lebanese as weak and itself as strong.” “We do not care about Hezbollah,” he added. “ Hezbollah has illusory dreams of victory. What we care about is the Shiite sect.” Hariri said Hezbollah’s defeat in Syria ought to be followed with a broader reconciliation in Lebanon with the country’s Shiites. One of the issues now facing the Cabinet is what to adopt as it ministerial policy statement, something Hariri said would be a core issue for the Future Movement. He said the bloc would not allow the inclusion of the last government’s formula, “the Army, the people, and the Resistance,” which enshrines Hezbollah’s role as part of the country’s defense strategy: “That is definite, because Hezbollah went to Syria and left the people and Army in Lebanon.” He also said the party would insist that Lebanon adhere to various U.N. Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 1559, which calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament. The Future Movement will also seek to include in the ministerial statement its proposal for expanding the STL’s mandate to include all attacks in Lebanon after 2005, the end of the tribunal’s jurisdiction. On the presidency, Hariri said the Future Movement would prefer the next president to be from its fold, but that it was too early to discuss potential candidates. Hariri also broached the recent start of trial at the STL, saying it signified his bloc’s demand for “justice, not revenge.” But he said the political consequences of the trial would be “major” if the suspects were convicted. The STL has indicted five members of Hezbollah in connection with the Valentine’s Day bombing in 2005 that killed Rafik Hariri and 21 others and plunged Lebanon into political turmoil. The trial of four of the suspects in absentia began last month at the tribunal’s headquarters in The Hague. Hezbollah has refused to hand over any of the suspects and accuses the court of being a U.S.‐Zionist conspiracy to undermine it. “If these accused are not handed over then an entire party will be accused of assassinating Rafik Hariri,” Hariri said. “There is an opportunity to deliver the accused to the tribunal now.” Hariri said Hezbollah recognized that it could not end the tribunal, as the Mikati government sent funds to the STL three times despite the party’s strong presence. “ Hezbollah knows that it is not possible to stop the train of international justice,” Hariri said. The Future Movement’s control of the Justice, Telecommunications and Interior ministries in the new Cabinet will ensure that cooperation with the STL continues, he said. Hariri also addressed the issue of the return of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri to Lebanon, backing his decision to remain outside the country for security reasons. “Mohammad Shatah was killed 50 meters from Central House,” he said, referring to the assassination of the former finance minister in December near Saad Hariri’s Downtown residence and the Future Movement’s headquarters. “It was a message to Saad Hariri: You are not safe meters away from your house.” The attack was the latest in a string of political assassinations that have largely targeted the Future Movement’s members. Hariri also acknowledged that Lebanon faced a problem of extremism but accused the March 8 political bloc of painting the entire Sunni sect with an extremist brush. He blamed rising extremism among a minority of Sunnis on images of the massacres in Syria and Hezbollah’s participation there and rhetoric that accuses Sunnis in Lebanon of betraying the country. He also said certain “intelligence agencies” were using extremists to carry out attacks in Lebanon. He declined to specify which ones. Praising the Army’s recent arrest of Naim Abbas, a man linked to several suicide bombings in Lebanon, he called the military a “guarantor of security.” Berri: Gulf states should play mediating role in Saudi‐Iranian rift http://bit.ly/1oLFiAr The Daily Star BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri called on Gulf countries to play a mediating role between Iran and Saudi Arabia and encourage rapprochement, as he left Kuwait to continue his tour of the region in Tehran Monday. “I asked the Kuwaiti emir to mediate between Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he reassured me he would do everything possible to bring their points of view together,” Berri told Al‐Rai, a Kuwaiti newspaper, in an interview to be published Tuesday. Prior to his departure, Berri said he considered strengthening the Army an urgent issue for Lebanon. “Today, I consider strengthening the Lebanese Army a national priority,” he said. “Lebanon is about to turn into a [new] front line in the Syrian [war], that is already plaguing Tripoli, Hermel and Akkar,” Berri said during a dinner held Sunday by the Lebanese ambassador in his honor. “The truth is that all of Lebanon is a target – its Army, its resistance, its regions, its capital and its [southern] suburbs – and not just political figures,” he added. Lebanon continues to feel the repercussions of the conflict in Syria, with recurrent armed clashes in the northern city of Tripoli between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Border regions in Akkar, in the north, and Arsal, in the northeast, have also come under repeated Syrian bombardment since the uprising began in March 2011. The southern suburbs of Beirut and the northeastern town of Hermel, areas where support for Hezbollah runs high, have also been the scene of recent car bombings linked to the Syria crisis. Berri assured Lebanese living in Kuwait that Lebanon “will not fall,” despite the threat of terrorism. He stressed that Lebanon would not remain “neutral” in the face of Israeli attacks, and vowed to continue supporting the aspirations of the Palestinian people. “I support an Arab Lebanon which favors a political solution in Syria and agreement among Syrians to improve the regime,” he said. “[I support] an Arab Lebanon that favors a united Iraq and Egypt.” He said Lebanon should not only be strong in its “resistance” along the national borders, but should also work toward resolving the socioeconomic crisis, and holding timely presidential and parliamentary elections based on a new electoral law. Upon his arrival in Iran, Berri issued a statement calling for the presidential election to be held on time “before May 25, since the constitutional period for holding the election is between March 25 and May 25.” “In a country like Lebanon, there must be an agreement, and when I said that I would not discuss this issue before March 25, it was not because I want to postpone it, God forbid, but on the contrary, we want to hold a presidential poll but we need to set the foundations first and get the political parties together to secure quorum,” so constitutional deadlines are not broached, he said in the statement. On the advisories warning Kuwaitis and other Gulf nationals against travel to Lebanon, Berri said the rationale behind them was unfair: “Security incidents, demonstrations and road blockages can happen in any European and Gulf state or any country in the world.” “This [advisory] which was implemented by the Gulf states is not in the interests of Lebanon or Arabs in general. If Kuwaiti, Saudi or UAE nationals are subject to any kind of danger I wouldn’t say this, but when the incidents in Lebanon are due to external elements, which could occur in any country, then I must say these words and insist on my point of view.” Gulf states, including Kuwait, have advised their citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon and urged those in the country to leave given the tense security situation. Salam assumes office with little fanfare http://bit.ly/1cUiEgC By Hassan Lakkis The Daily Star BEIRUT: Preparations were underway at Beirut’s Grand Serail Monday as Lebanon’s new Prime Minister Tammam Salam made the transition to replace his predecessor after a new Cabinet was formed over the weekend. Unlike at ministries, there is no official handover ceremony between prime ministers. So when Salam arrived at the Grand Serail at 9 a.m. Monday, former Prime Minister Najib Mikati was nowhere to be seen, and neither were his staff. Salam, who was accompanied by his adviser Hisham Jaroudi and a number of escorts, was instead greeted by Cabinet Secretary‐General Souheil Bouji and other Serail employees. All elevators were stopped as Salam and his convoy made his way to his office on the second floor. Salam received a warm Western welcome Monday, and was visited by American Ambassador David Hale and British Ambassador Tom Fletcher. He also received a blessing from Bkirki from Bishop Boulos Sayah, who headed a delegation on behalf of Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai. The premier also received a visit from his wife Lama Badreddine, who arrived at the Serail around 11 a.m. Journalists also tried to enter Salam’s office to congratulate him, but were denied entry, prompting complaints. The only other small hiccup occurred when reporters noticed that the media office’s coffee maker was missing, but it was later discovered that the machine was privately owned by the former premier’s staff and so had been reclaimed. The new 24‐member Cabinet, equally divided between the March 8 and March 14 coalitions and centrists, was formed over the weekend after an 11‐month political deadlock. It faces tough political, security and economic challenges, including how to cope with the more than a million refugees who have fled to the country since the uprising began in Syria in March 2011. Abdel‐Sattar al‐Laz will replace Fares Gemayel as the prime minister’s new media adviser, while Nafez Kawas, the media attaché, is waiting to take over the office of Khodor Taleb, an adviser of Mikati’s who went back to work for local newspaper As‐Safir. Ramez Dimashkieh will become director of Salam’s office, and will also be working with a number of other advisers. The security team, which handles the safety of the Grand Serail and personally attends to the prime minister, will remain in the hands of Brig. Gen. Ahmad Hajjar. Lacking the hustle and bustle of previous times, the Serail’s current atmosphere suggests a lack of advisers and staff. Instead, there is a pervasive feeling that things are not yet completely settled and remain in flux, as Salam waits for members of the National News Agency to join his team along with others whom the prime minister might need. The new premier did not partake in any official activities Monday afternoon. He is set to be at the presidential palace in Baabda Tuesday morning to choose a committee that will be responsible for drafting the ministerial statement. The group is expected to include a minister from each political party participating in the Cabinet. Under the law, the government has one month from the issuance of the ministerial decrees to present its ministerial statement to Parliament for it to receive a vote of confidence. If the Cabinet is unable to agree on a formula, the government will be considered resigned, according to the Constitution. Such an incident, however, has yet to occur in Lebanese history. As Salam took up his post, new Environment Minister Mohammad Mashnouk was also heading to his ministry, where he took over the office from Nazem Khoury. Before leaving the Serail Monday, Mashnouk said the ministerial statement would aim to stick to the common goal of maintaining calm in the country, citing Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah’s televised speech Sunday night as an example. Political sources close to the government formation issue told The Daily Star Monday it was important not to rely on statements released by the new ministers or political party officials in the government. The sources noted that the ministerial statement would be short. The sources added that the newly formed Cabinet was an exceptional one whose main purpose was to manage and oversee the presidential election and work on the adoption of a new electoral law. The sources did not rule out the possibility of officials “bidding” against one another while drafting the ministerial statement, but said that if some of their stances concern the need to uphold the Baabda Declaration, or reject the “Army, resistance, people” formula, there was no doubt that Salam’s government would soon turn into a caretaker one. In such an event the president would have to call for parliamentary consultations to choose another official to entrust with the formation of a new government. Now Lebanon Agencies withdraw doctored Lebanese government picture http://bit.ly/1gz6r5R
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and prime minister‐designate Tammam Salam posing with ministers of the new cabinet at the presidential palace of Baabda. The picture was doctored to include Parliament speaker Nabih Berri [front center left]. (AFP PHOTO / HO / DALATI AND NOHRA) BEIRUT ‐ The Associated Press and Agence France Press withdrew an official picture of the new Lebanese government and issued an advisory not to use it, after it was discovered that the image had been altered. The photograph, which was released on Saturday and distributed by The Associated Press and other news agencies, shows Speaker Nabih Berri standing next to President Michel Suleiman at the Presidential Palace, but journalists present at the time of the shoot noted that the speaker had already left the official event. It later transpired that the image had been doctored to include him. "Adding elements to a photograph is entirely unacceptable and is in clear violation of AP's standards," AP Vice President and Director of Photography Santiago Lyon said Sunday. AFP also issued a statement Sunday, advising against the use of the picture showing Berri, Suleiman, and Prime Minister Tammam Salam posing with ministers of the new cabinet at Baabda. “This handout picture has been doctored by the provider. The picture has been withdrawn from AFP systems and may no longer be used in any manner,” the statement said. “Please immediately remove it from all your online services, stop using it in any other fashion and delete it from your servers.” A new unity cabinet of 24 ministers was formed Saturday following eleven months of bickering between rival political parties. All of the Lebanese parties agreed to participate in the cabinet except for the Lebanese Forces, which maintained its refusal to sit at the same table as Hezbollah due to the latter’s continued involvement in the Syrian war. Berri calls for presidential elections within constitutional timeframe http://bit.ly/O2Vwr6
BEIRUT ‐ Speaker Nabih Berri said in a televised address on Kuwait’s Alrai TV Monday that presidential elections must be held between March 25 and May 25. “I say definitively that the subject of the presidency must be finalized and presidential elections held in Lebanon before May 25,” Berri said. “I said I would not open that subject before March 25 because my constitutional powers only allow for that matter beginning from March 25.” He added: “In the previous presidential elections in 2007‐2008 I called for 18 sessions to elect the president [but the required amount of votes] was not met.” “We must [cooperate] in these elections to secure [the sufficient amount of votes] so that the same thing will not happen again.” Future warming to Aoun, but won’t elect him president http://bit.ly/1kQECsY
BFF? Despite warming ties that both hope will lead to cooperation in the new cabinet and beyond, the Future Movement will not support Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun for president, a Future official told NOW. “The Future Movement would not vote for Aoun [as president],” Ayman Jezzini, the Future Movement’s media coordinator, told NOW, because Future is also allied with Aoun’s arch rival, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea. That said, Jezzini said Aoun and Future Movement leader Saad Hariri will soon meet publicly. The two were rumored to have met in Rome in mid‐January, though neither party confirmed or denied the reports. “I guarantee a meeting between both soon, especially with Saad al‐Hariri planning on coming back,” Jezzini said. A source close to the Lebanese Forces – who was granted anonymity to speak candidly – told NOW the meeting will happen in “a week to ten days.” Ziad Abs, a Free Patriotic Movement member who helped negotiate the party’s 2006 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hezbollah, was less certain Aoun and Hariri would meet soon. “This relationship should progress the way any relationship should. Eventually [a meeting] might happen, if this relationship had the chance to go through the [initial] steps that need to be done before this could happen,” Abs said, noting that in the past few months ties have been continually strengthening between the parties. “Breaking the ice has been done. Communication is established. Now a lot as to be done to build on this positivity to make this relationship better,” he added. The source close to the Lebanese Forces said improving ties between the FPM and Future were closely tied to Aoun’s desire to become president and plans for the post‐presidential election period. The source said Aoun wants Hariri’s votes in parliament for his own presidential bid. However, the source added that if Aoun doesn’t become president, he will break his alliance with Hezbollah and transfer power within the FPM to Gebran Bassil, his son‐in‐law and the current Foreign Minister. Abs, from the FPM, denied that the party will be breaking with Hezbollah any time soon. He argued the MoU is both a bond between the two but also a basis for building the country that all major parties need to be on board with. As for the presidency, Abs said Aoun is indeed going to run for president and the party “will do all we can to convince everyone that General Aoun is the best candidate for president this time.” He added, “but if you ask whether [improving ties with Future] is only for the presidential elections, no.” Fighting terrorism and bringing stability to the country, Abs said, were the main goals of improving relations with Future. Future and the FPM have had quite a tense relationship in the past few years. When Aoun returned from exile in Paris in 2005, he tried to strike an electoral deal with Hariri just before parliamentary polls that year. However, the two did not see eye‐to‐eye on how many candidates Aoun should name, so the General ran alone. He won big. In the years that followed, Future and FPM party officials repeatedly went back and forth accusing the other of corruption and the mismanagement of ministries and state resources. Both Abs and Jezzini, the Future media official, presented their blossoming relationship as driven by internal factors, but the source close to the LF saw foreign pressure as the motivating factor. “I think there is momentum with the US and Saudi being reflected inside Lebanon on trying to withdraw Aoun from Hezbollah,” the source said. The source said that the LF, which is Aoun’s primary nemesis, is not happy with Future’s talks nor do they think the talks will lead anywhere. “The LF know very well this won’t work,” the source said. “Aoun’s been tested. Nothing will change.” However, the source added that the LF will not be saying much in public on the topic, given the need to maintain a strong relationship with Future. “[The LF] consider the alliance with Future very critical and very important for the LF,” the source said, adding that if the two were to end their alliance, “[the LF] will be alone, outside all of what is happening. You can’t do politics alone.” Dear Citizens: Best Wishes from Lebanon’s New Cabinet http://bit.ly/1gZNxmU
Dear Citizens, We hope this finds you well. We wish we could have kept in touch more frequently and ask that you excuse our tardy response: the Republic of Lebanon, quite simply, lacks the appropriate letterhead for ‘Caretaker Cabinet.’ (Yalla, lessons learned…) After months of intricate planning, we are pleased to grant you a new government—for the time being, of course. Understanding your frustration, our Caretaker Committee has immediately devised a new policy platform, subject to Parliamentary approval. To move Lebanon forward, we envision tackling reconciliation, cooperation, economics, finance, statecraft, certain civil rights issues, and—of course—new elections. We discuss in detail below. ‐Reconciliation: We do not anticipate requiring you to make amends with your fellow citizens. Rest assured, we plan to promote reconstruction and redevelopment (as we have always done). We plan to reclaim land, rehash old debates, and reestablish our stranglehold over Beirut—so as to allow us to freelance elsewhere. But we will not compel you to reconcile. ‐Cooperation: Although we’ve now harmonized our management practices, and addressed certain inefficiencies, we invite you to continue squabbling amongst yourselves. Dissent is the foundation of our Republic—as long as it isn’t directed towards a center of power. Moreover, to the extent you agree with others, please consider disagreeing as to why you agree. To the extent you’d like to foster change, please do so through various vehicles—every man, woman, child, and dog deserves to run his or her civil society organization, consultancy, or 'boutique innovation firm'—that will compete with each other for talent, ideas, funds, time, and attention. We invite you to enlist our support for cutesy causes; we also invite you to discard “big ideas” at the Beirut Duty Free, as you enter or exit the country. ‐Economics and Finance: As you’re aware, wehave underperformed over the past 92quarters.Our debt, which you’ve kindly underwritten, continues to expand. Your economy continues to stagnate. Growth, driven by expatriates and non‐
citizens, remains confined to sectors that add little value to the broader economy. Refugees and dollars continue to flow into Lebanon; citizens and ideas continue to flow out. As our predecessors bet big on infrastructure and impending Arab‐
Israeli peace, we have chosen to bet big on revenue streams in our nascent energy sector. In other words, “we got this.” ‐Statecraft: Foreign Policy: We will strive to survive. In so doing, we will abstain from crafting and articulating a policy. However, we will hedge against the inherent risks of “neutrality by default” by allowing political participants and private citizens to pursue alternative approaches. Good luck. May the best faction win. Defense: America has its military. France once had its resistance. Switzerland has its people. After carefully considering the advantages and disadvantages of prevailing international practices, we have elected to pursue an “all of the above” strategy. You, dear citizens, will have it all. Kick back and relax (except when called upon to resist this, that, and the other). You deserve it! ‐Civil Rights: Liberties: We will tolerate your Liberties. We will not protect your Freedoms. If you have any questions, please refer them to your shuttered Parliament; your two concurrent, quasi‐legal governments; and your abandoned President. Remember to say “please” and “thank you;” remember to refer to your interlocutors—the beiks, sheikhs, and khalileh yeks—by their proper titles; remember to plaster a shit‐eating grin on your face. As always, your lack of decorum—not our lack of competence—risks undermining the state’s security. Minority Rights: We will protect officially recognized communities. We will foster pluralism, within limits, by elevating communities over individuals—legally, politically, and socially. At this stage, furthermore, we are not prepared to recognize, promote, or protect communities of conscience: should you choose to identify with other citizens’ word‐view, social mores, economic preferences, or political convictions, we invite you to explore emigration, disillusionment, apathy, or radicalism. Fourth Estate: Please keep writing, researching, and investigating. We’ll need to groom many of you, endowed with skill and ambition, to broaden our base; a short, irreverent frolicking detour never hurt anyone—have your fun now, kiss the ring later. In the meantime, please remember: You may be irreverent, so long as you’re irrelevant. Fifth Estate: Please keep tweeting, sharing, and commenting. By adding your voices to the cacophony of “concerned citizens,” you add a certain gloss to our activities—a veneer of dissent, complemented by genuine feuding amongst yourselves, will allow us to reorient towards the coming decades. Women’s Rights: We regret to inform you that we were unable to accommodate your demands this year. Although we were moved by unsung civil society campaigns, as well as controversial developments in recent weeks, we’re simply incapable of grasping more than a pair of breasts at this time. Bookrah, hayetehs... Bookrah. ‐Elections: Parliamentary: We expect to restrict the discussion on electoral reform. First, we will only discuss electoral law reform. Second, we will focus on districting: geographic, communal, and political gerrymandering and horse‐trading. Third, we will not consider establishing (more or less) permanent rules and independent oversight mechanisms. Presidential:We thank you for continuing to entrust us with the privilege of choosing your President. Although we have yet to consider our options fully, we are pleased to inform you that our standard failsafe measure remains in place: amending the Lebanese Constitution “for one time only.” Contemplating such an amendment, in general terms, we have identified three initial options. 1) Amend the Constitution to extend the term of an incumbent President who owes his first term to a similar amendment—the third consecutive “one time only” extension, and second consecutive extension for a military man. 2) Amend the Constitution to elect the incumbent Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces—electing a military man as President for the third consecutive “for one time only.” 3) Amend the Constitution to usher in the incumbent Governor of the Central Bank; market studies indicate he is slightly more tolerable to the small circle of counter‐elites that continue to challenge our near‐term agenda. We share the results of our meeting as a courtesy and will not accept feedback, whether delivered in person, in writing, or electronically. You have no equity, and thus should have no expectations. In any event, we thank you for your time and attention. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We look forward to hearing from you soon, will take your comments under advisement, and will resume our normal affairs after a brief pause for the cause. Kind Regards, Best Wishes, and All the Best… Sincerely, — Caretaker Committee, Lords of Lebanon, S.A.R.L. P.S. Over the coming months, we will be conducting periodic fire drills in Tripoli, the Bekaa, and parts of Sidon. Please drive to the airport in an orderly fashion, using burning tires to guide your escape, and meet for roll calls in Paris, London, New York, and elsewhere. Embassy officials will be available to snoop into your lives and report your activities back to us. Bisous. L’Orient Le Jour Le gouvernement des « 100 jours » http://bit.ly/1e3lKhU
Élie FAYAD | OLJ18/02/2014 L'intérêt occidental dans le maintien, contre vents et marées, d'un niveau de stabilité acceptable au Liban a finalement porté ses fruits. Sans cet intérêt, il paraît aujourd'hui évident que la délicate opération d'aplanissement progressif des obstacles qui entravaient depuis plus de dix mois la formation du nouveau gouvernement n'aurait pu être menée à bien. Et il est tout aussi clair que ce processus, voulu par les puissances occidentales ayant une influence certaine sur la scène libanaise, essentiellement les États‐Unis et la France, n'a guère été contrecarré par les deux acteurs qui se disputent actuellement le leadership régional, à savoir l'Iran et l'Arabie saoudite – la Turquie et l'Égypte connaissant une éclipse due notamment à leurs difficultés intérieures. À cette heureuse conjonction, s'ajoute un troisième facteur, non négligeable : l'inquiétude que suscite chez tous les protagonistes « traditionnels » libanais, qu'ils soient du 14 ou du 8 Mars et dans toutes les communautés, l'impact nouveau et grandissant au Liban des groupuscules jihadistes et terroristes, liés ou pas à la nébuleuse d'el‐Qaëda. Tous ces éléments ont ainsi concouru à rendre possible la mise sur pied d'une équipe qui, en théorie, n'a devant elle qu'une centaine de jours pour tenter de remettre plus ou moins le pays sur les rails. Paradoxalement, la brièveté de cette durée de vie programmée, pour cause de fin du mandat présidentiel, offre en soi une chance de succès à ce gouvernement. Pourquoi ? Justement parce qu'il se doit de modérer ses ambitions et de s'en tenir à des objectifs limités, clairs et à portée de main, ce qui le dispense d'avoir à se doter d'une déclaration ministérielle verbeuse et par conséquent source de frictions et de conflits. D'ores et déjà, les sources du Premier ministre Tammam Salam font savoir que le texte de la déclaration ministérielle devra être « réduit », dans une tentative visant à faire en sorte que les éléments de désaccord entre les diverses composantes du gouvernement soient d'emblée contournés et, si possible, passés sous silence. Dans les milieux proches de Mousseitbé, on définit, en effet, la mission du gouvernement dans trois directions prioritaires et quasi exclusives : le rétablissement d'un minimum de sécurité, la tenue dans les délais de l'élection présidentielle et l'inversion de la tendance plongeante de l'économie. Trois objectifs à court terme qui n'ont nul besoin de littérature d'accompagnement diserte. Un quatrième objectif pourrait aussi être ajouté, en cas de bonne marche des affaires : l'adoption d'un projet de loi électorale en vue des législatives. Le cabinet réussira‐t‐il à franchir le cap de la déclaration ministérielle ? C'est la question que l'on se pose aujourd'hui, sans pouvoir donner de réponse. Le Conseil des ministres doit se réunir aujourd'hui même à Baabda, pour la première fois, afin de désigner la commission ministérielle qui sera chargée de rédiger la déclaration. Présidée par le chef du gouvernement, cette commission devra, selon notre chroniqueur diplomatique Khalil Fleyhane, englober les ministres des Affaires étrangères, Gebran Bassil, de l'Intérieur, Nohad Machnouk, des Finances, Ali Hassan Khalil, des Télécoms, Boutros Harb, de la Justice, Achraf Rifi, et de la Culture, Rony Araïji. À en croire certains ministres, résolument optimistes, les mêmes facteurs qui ont permis de venir à bout de la crise gouvernementale permettront tout aussi bien de franchir l'obstacle de la déclaration ministérielle. Mais il n'empêche que la composition même du gouvernement et les positions des protagonistes, toujours aussi éloignées les unes des autres sur les sujets essentiels, continuent de jouer en sens inverse. Le nouveau ministre d'État en charge de la Réforme administrative, Nabil de Freige, a résumé en quelques mots la situation dans une déclaration à l'agence al‐
Markaziya : un retrait du 14 Mars du gouvernement serait tout à fait d'actualité au cas où le camp adverse s'obstinerait à intégrer le triptyque « armée‐peuple‐
résistance » au texte de la déclaration ministérielle. Sauf qu'il a pris soin d'ajouter que « ce n'est pas le moment de parler de choses négatives ». Dans les milieux centristes, on semble convaincu que le triptyque cher au Hezbollah serait d'une façon ou d'une autre relégué aux oubliettes, alors même que la déclaration de Baabda, qui fonde la neutralité du Liban face à la politique des axes et chapeaute le dogme de la distanciation à l'égard de la guerre en Syrie, figurerait en bonne place dans le document ministériel. Comment cela serait‐il possible à l'heure où le secrétaire général du Hezbollah annonce la poursuite de l'implication de ce dernier dans le conflit syrien ? La question mérite d'être posée. Mais, le cas échéant, le Hezb n'en serait pas à sa première contradiction. Déjà, sous le gouvernement Mikati, qui était à bien des égards celui du Hezbollah, la « distanciation » était au centre de la politique officielle de l'Exécutif. Cela a‐t‐il empêché le parti de Dieu de s'inscrire en faux par rapport à cette doctrine ? Il reste à se demander comment se dérouleront les séances du Conseil des ministres au vu des grandes aspérités du nouveau gouvernement. Dans ce cadre, il convient de souligner que le « trio de choc » du 14 Mars placé à l'Intérieur (N. Machnouk), aux Télécoms (Harb) et à la Justice (Rifi), a de quoi alarmer la base populaire du 8 Mars, aussi bien que l'ancien directeur général de la Sûreté générale Jamil Sayyed et l'ex‐ministre Wi'am Wahhab. Sur ce point, il est clair que le 14 Mars signe un retour assez « musclé » et donc une victoire d'étape face au camp adverse. Mais, d'un autre point de vue, le tandem chiite, désireux d'associer tout le monde à la bataille contre ceux qu'il nomme les « takfiristes », avait intérêt à ce que le 14 Mars, et en particulier des faucons du Futur comme MM. Machnouk et Rifi, se retrouve aux avant‐postes de la bataille sécuritaire et judiciaire qui s'est ouverte. Sleiman : La confiance du Parlement au plus vite http://bit.ly/1c0zR7V
Le président de la République Michel Sleiman a exprimé l'espoir que « le nouveau gouvernement puisse élaborer la déclaration ministérielle dans les meilleurs délais afin d'obtenir la confiance du Parlement au plus vite, accompagner les échéances constitutionnelles et réaliser certains projets en suspens afin de compenser le temps perdu ». « Je suis certain que les efforts qui ont abouti à la formation d'un gouvernement consensuel seront poursuivis au cours de la prochaine étape », a‐t‐il assuré. M. Sleiman s'est en outre entretenu avec le ministre des Affaires étrangères, Gebran Bassil, à propos des missions du ministère, notamment pour ce qui concerne les rencontres régionales et internationales liées au Liban, le vote des émigrés et le renforcement de la présence des missions diplomatiques et consulaires dans le monde. Le chef de l'État a aussi examiné avec les députés Antoine Saad et Henry Hélou ainsi qu'avec les anciens ministres, Farès Boueiz et Marwan Charbel, la situation actuelle suite à la formation du nouveau gouvernement. Il s'est aussi informé auprès du commandant en chef de l'armée, le général Jean Kahwagi, des mesures prises pour faire face aux actes terroristes après les aveux des détenus qui ont été récemment arrêtés. M. Sleiman a également mis l'accent sur les efforts fournis par l'armée dans la découverte d'un grand nombre de voitures piégées dans des régions résidentielles. Il a enfin reçu le bâtonnier de Beyrouth, Georges Jreige, qui l'a félicité pour la nomination de la juge Alice Chaptini comme ministre des Déplacés. Par ailleurs, le secrétaire général de la Ligue arabe, Nabil el‐Arabi, a contacté par téléphone le président Sleiman dans le but de le féliciter pour la formation du nouveau gouvernement. Joumblatt : La présidentielle est la principale mission du gouvernement http://bit.ly/1cUkuy6
Le chef du Parti socialiste progressiste, le député Walid Joumblatt, a estimé que l'une des principales missions du nouveau gouvernement est de baisser les tensions en vue du déroulement de l'élection présidentielle dans les délais constitutionnels et légaux, « afin d'éviter le vide qui portera un coup dur à notre système démocratique ». Dans son article hebdomadaire au journal al‐Anba', organe de son parti, le leader druze a salué la formation du nouveau gouvernement, « après un long labeur au cours duquel nous avons intensifié nos contacts politiques ». Il a tenu néanmoins à mentionner « les défis qui nous attendent, et qui restent grands, très grands ». « Si nos efforts ont abouti à un gouvernement fédérateur, nous faisons face aujourd'hui à des dossiers essentiels et urgents ». Parmi ces dossiers, il a évoqué, en plus de l'échéance présidentielle, la gestion du conflit politique et « son transfert de la rue embrasée à la table du Conseil des ministres ». « Si toutefois les clivages s'avèrent très profonds, il faudrait au moins veiller à ne pas les attiser », a‐t‐il fait remarquer. Dans ce cadre, « le terrorisme est la menace principale à la paix civile et impose de renforcer la coordination entre les services de sécurité », a‐t‐il conclu. Hale et Fletcher assurent Salam du soutien des États‐Unis et de la Grande‐
Bretagne http://bit.ly/1c0zU3M
Le Premier ministre, Tammam Salam, a passé hier sa première journée au Sérail où il a reçu les ambassadeurs des États‐Unis, David Hale, et de Grande‐Bretagne, Tom Fletcher, ainsi que le vicaire patriarcal, Boulos Sayyah, qui lui a remis une copie de la charte nationale de Bkerké. C'est un Tammam Salam tout sourire, qui a fait ses premiers pas de Premier ministre au Grand Sérail où il passé en revue un détachement de la garde d'honneur, avant de gagner son bureau où il a reçu, un peu plus tard, le vicaire patriarcal, Boulos Sayyah, accompagné de l'abbé Antoine Khalifé. Plus tard, Mgr Sayyah a indiqué à la presse qu'il a transmis à son hôte les vœux du patriarche maronite, le cardinal Béchara Raï, et qu'il lui a remis une copie de la charte nationale de Bkerké « à laquelle le chef du gouvernement avait réagi positivement ». Par la suite, M. Salam s'est entretenu avec l'ambassadeur des États‐Unis, David Hale, qui a affirmé avoir renouvelé devant le chef du gouvernement les vœux du secrétaire d'État, John Kerry, lequel s'était félicité samedi de la formation d'une nouvelle équipe ministérielle. Mon administration et moi‐même apprécions grandement M. Salam et nous aspirons à travailler avec lui et avec son équipe pour renforcer les relations bilatérales et aider le Liban à faire face aux défis auxquels il est confronté. « Le Liban ne peut pas et ne doit pas les affronter seul. C'est pour cette raison que le Groupe international de soutien au Liban a été créé », a‐t‐il ajouté, en rappelant que les principaux défis se rapportent à « la consolidation de la politique de distanciation à l'égard du conflit en Syrie, la lutte contre la violence et les attentats terroristes, l'assistance aux communautés locales qui accueillent les déplacés syriens et la protection de l'occasion qui se présente aux Libanais pour choisir leur président et leurs députés, de manière libre et juste, dans les délais constitutionnels ». M. Hale a poursuivi en indiquant qu'« à travers la mise en application de l'accord de Taëf et de la déclaration de Baabda, et l'exécution totale des résolutions 1701 et 1559 du Conseil de sécurité, les dirigeants libanais et la communauté internationale peuvent mieux aider le peuple libanais à faire face à ces défis et à renforcer les chances de paix, de stabilité, de prospérité et de liberté ». Il a rendu un vibrant hommage à l'ancien Premier ministre Nagib Mikati et salué « sa modération et son attachement à des relations solides entre le Liban et les États‐
Unis ». L'ambassadeur de Grande‐Bretagne, Tom Fletcher, qui a été reçu ensuite au Sérail, a transmis à M. Salam les vœux de son homologue britannique, David Cameron. À l'instar de M. Hale, il a mis l'accent sur les défis qui se posent au Liban, en insistant particulièrement sur le conflit en Syrie, le dossier des réfugiés et les services de base que les Libanais attendent du gouvernement. « Il n'y a pas de temps à perdre. Nous devons tous travailler dur pour aboutir à ce à quoi les Libanais aspirent : la stabilité, l'indépendance et un avenir meilleur. Le chemin à faire est difficile, mais il est primordial que cet effort soit couronné de succès », a encore dit le diplomate en assurant que son pays restera l'allié le plus fort du gouvernement et soutiendra ses efforts pour maintenir la stabilité. Avant de se rendre au Sérail, le Premier ministre avait reçu à Mousseitbé l'ambassadeur du Koweït, Abdel Aal Konahi. Il a également reçu des appels téléphoniques du président palestinien, Mahmoud Abbas, du chef de la diplomatie saoudienne, Saoud al‐Fayçal, et de l'ancien Premier ministre koweïtien, cheikh Nasser Mohammad al‐Sabbah. Berry : La formation du cabinet devrait diminuer les tensions et paver la voie au dialogue http://bit.ly/1cUkLB8
Le président de la Chambre des députés, Nabih Berry, est arrivé hier dans l'après‐
midi à Téhéran pour participer aux travaux de la neuvième conférence de l'Union des États membres de l'organisation de coopération islamique, qui se tiendra aujourd'hui et demain en Iran. M. Berry a été reçu à l'aéroport par le vice‐
président du Conseil d'État, Mohammad‐Reza Bahonar, de nombreux membres du conseil et l'ambassadeur du Liban à Téhéran, Fady el‐Hage Ali. Au salon de l'aéroport, Nabih Berry a déclaré : « Je suis venu en Iran pour présenter mes félicitations aux autorités iraniennes et au peuple iranien, pour la 35e commémoration de la victoire de la révolution islamique en Iran, guidée par le guide suprême Khamenei. Je suis aussi en Iran pour participer à la conférence à laquelle m'a invité mon ami Ali Larijani. La région islamique et arabe a besoin de cette unité aujourd'hui et de la collaboration entre musulmans, surtout que les complots contre la cause palestinienne deviennent de plus en plus grands. » M. Berry a assuré que « la délégation libanaise porte aussi une proposition particulière pour cette conférence, celle de fonder un marché islamique commun avec des zones franches, pour que l'unité entre musulmans commence au moins par les intérêts économiques ». Le président du Parlement a ensuite rencontré son homologue syrien Mohammad Jihad al‐Laham, en présence des députés Kassem Hachem et Nawar Sahili, du secrétaire général pour les Affaires étrangères au sein du Parlement, Bilal Charara, et de l'ambassadeur de Syrie à Téhéran Adnane Mahmoud, pour discuter des travaux préparatoires de la conférence d'aujourd'hui. La veille, Nabih Berry avait clôturé sa visite au Koweït par un dîner organisé par l'ambassadeur du Liban, Khodr Halwi, en présence du président de l'Assemblée nationale du Koweït, Marzouk Ghanem, du député Ammar Houri et d'autres responsables. Dans une allocution, le président de la Chambre a exprimé l'espoir que le nouveau cabinet reçoive la confiance du Parlement et que la déclaration ministérielle soit rédigée prochainement, pour faire face aux défis suivants qu'il a énumérés : la crise des réfugiés syriens et palestiniens, le terrorisme au Liban, la délimitation des frontières maritimes, le règlement du dossier pétrolier, l'opposition à Israël à travers la résolution 1701 et l'amélioration des conditions socio‐économiques. « La formation du cabinet devrait diminuer toutes les tensions et ouvrir la voie au dialogue », a affirmé M. Berry, qui a estimé que « le Liban a perdu beaucoup de temps et d'opportunités à travers les décennies, depuis l'accord de Taëf jusqu'à l'accord de Doha, la table de dialogue, la déclaration de Baabda et le mémoire de Bkerké, en passant par toutes les petites et grandes guerres politiques ». « Le Liban est sur le point de devenir un axe de combat de la crise syrienne qui enflamme Tripoli, le Hermel et le Akkar. Et c'est tout le Liban qui est menacé, a‐t‐il ajouté. On nous a inventé des ministères régaliens on ne sait comment, mais la vérité est que nous avons besoin de deux ministères régaliens seulement, celui du Plan et celui des Affaires de la diaspora libanaise. » Et de conclure : « Le Liban est fort par sa diversité et par sa résistance aux frontières. Il faut à présent réussir les échéances constitutionnelles, la présidentielle et les législatives, et le premier projet du cabinet devrait être l'augmentation des effectifs de l'armée, sans oublier qu'il nous faut prendre certaines initiatives nécessaires pour ne pas perdre le pays, en ce qui concerne l'implantation; nos frères en Jordanie ont déjà senti le danger et pris d'ailleurs les mesures nécessaires à cet effet. »