Lebanese lawmakers could be on the cusp of finally agreeing on Army Commander Michel Sleiman as Lebanon's new president, ending a volatile political stalemate and fears of civil strife. ``It is true,'' Saad al-Hariri's Future parliamentary bloc would back Sleiman's election, Ammar Houry, a member of parliament, said by telephone from Beirut, acknowledging that his group had dropped objections to the nomination. | Sleiman will need to step down from the army and Lebanon's constitution will need to be amended for a public servant to become president. |
That's the best they could come up with? Another general? Liverlips was an ex-general, for Cat's sake. If they wanted somebody neutral, why not ask the Swedes for that pretty princess they've got? Nothing brings a nation together better than a pretty princess.
For two months, the majority coalition under Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has been trying to select a successor to President Emile Lahoud, 71. It was blocked by Hezbollah. Lahoud, a close ally of Syria, supported its 29-year occupation of Lebanon. He left the presidential palace at midnight Nov. 23 after he ordered the armed forces to handle security nationwide because of ``threats'' that might lead to a state of emergency.
| The only "threats" anybody noticed were those coming from Hezbollah. |
General Sleiman, born Nov 21, 1948, took command of the Lebanese Armed Forces on December 21 1998, according to the Lebanese Armed Forces Web site. A graduate of the Military Academy and the Lebanese University, he moved up the ranks from an infantry platoon leader to battalion commander, later chief of the Intelligence Branch of Mount Lebanon and then Army Staff Secretary-General. |
| Namely by him... |
President's Tenure
``In the next phase the squabbling will be over how long Sleiman will serve,'' Ghorayeb said. ``March 14 are hitting two birds with one stone, if the opposition agrees then, great, that's a solution and if they don't then that's good as well, because it makes them look conciliatory and Michel Aoun appears as the obstacle to national consensus.''
Aoun's acceptance would put an end to a year-long crisis. Tony Nasrallah, a media adviser to Aoun and his Free Patriotic Movement, declined to comment on the candidacy of Sleiman. ``It's too early for us to comment and it could be all that is taking place are maneuvers that aim to create a rift between the Lebanese army and the Free Patriotic Movement and we reserve our right not to declare our stand at this time,'' Nasrallah said.
Hezbollah Ties
Sleiman has close ties to Hezbollah and played a supportive role to the Shiite militia during Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon and in the war with Israel in 2006. Hezbollah would be amenable to his candidacy as it ``has trust in him,'' Ghorayeb said.
The government and Hezbollah have been at odds for a year. Hezbollah pulled its members and supporters out of the cabinet after failing to get Siniora to grant it a veto power over major decisions. Ever since, parliament speaker Berri, a Hezbollah ally, has refused to call parliament into session. Hezbollah vowed to oppose any president chosen by simple majority instead of consensus.
Under Lebanon's constitution, the cabinet assumes presidential powers in the event a president can't be elected. The president is in charge of the army, and must sign off on the formation of cabinets and on treaties and agreements with foreign countries. The last time the presidency was vacant was in 1988-1989 during Lebanon's 15-year civil war.