 The formation of a new government appeared in jeopardy Wednesday with pro-Syrian officials rejecting opposition demands in a stand-off threatening to delay the parliamentary elections scheduled for the spring. Prime Minister-designate Omar Karami has expressed his intentions to pursue dialogue with opposition leader Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt, the Hariri family and Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, currently on a visit to Washington and New York. But Karami has also threatened to resign if he fails in his bid to form a national unity Cabinet.
| Might as well do it now... |
The opposition has so far refused to enter dialogue with Karami until its demands for the resignation of the country's top seven security officials are met. The opposition is also demanding the formation of an international investigation committee into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the full pullout of Syrian troops and secret services, and the dismantling of Lebanese and Syrian intelligence apparatuses. Jbeil MP Fares Soueid and Beirut MP Ghinwa Jalloul, who submitted the opposition's demands to Karami on Tuesday, re-asserted Wednesday their insistence on their demands and their refusal to trade Hariri's blood with any government. In a joint statement, Jalloul and Soueid said the demands aimed at protecting the country and restoring confidence between people and authorities. Karami called Wednesday for an end to demonstrations and encouraged dialogue. He also specifically called for canceling the demonstration scheduled for Friday in Tripoli, as "dialogue requires staying away from anything that nurtures division."
| If there are two separate opinions, that's division by definitions. Their opinion is that they want Syria out. Lahou'd opinion is that he wants Syria in. Not an awful lot of dialoguing room there. |
Meanwhile, Karami met with U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, but neither made any comments afterward.
| ... thereby implying that it wasn't a happy meeting... |
The political stalemate in Beirut threatens parliamentary elections that should in principle take place by May 31, notably if a government is not in place by the end of March. The Hariri family, the late leader's parliamentary bloc and Future Movement have unanimously pledged allegiance to Sidon MP Bahia Hariri as a political successor to her brother, amid a drive to present Bahia for the premiership once Karami abandons his bid to form a government, press reports said Wednesday. Bahia could also run for her brother's parliamentary seat in the elections, the reports added. The crisis is also much broader than simple disagreements on a national unity government, as Jumblatt and several other opposition MPs are calling for President Emile Lahoud's resignation. Lahoud, meanwhile, has expressed fears that if the political situation remains unchanged, it will affect the country's economic stability and lead to repercussions that could affect the entire country. |