Who is the opposition's candidate anyway?

Anyone who follows the news out of Lebanon realizes that the "opposition", despite random declarations by certain pro-Syrian members, has not officially endorsed Michel Aoun's candidacy. Even Hizbullah went on the record as saying that "Aoun is not the only candidate".

The opposition's refusal to have a candidate is reminiscent of their refusal to disclose their objections on the Hariri Tribunal, calling instead for the discussion to take place within a "national unity government". Today, they won't go into names of candidates now before agreeing on the agenda of the next government.

Naturally, fielding a candidate implies acceptance of the democratic process and the right of MPs to vote. Hizbullah prefers to train and arm its allies, and maintain an illegal occupation in downtown Beirut, restricting access to the government building and parliament. After a "slip of the tongue" by an Amal MP a few days ago that the "opposition" might end the "sit-in", Hizbullah quickly denied anything of the sort would happen before an agreement is announced between Saad Hariri and Nabih Berri.

Meanwhile, the campaigning (if one can call it that) of Nassib Lahoud, Boutros Harb and Charles Rizk have had no impact on the situation. Nassib Lahoud's offer to give the opposition the "blocking third" in the new government in return for a March 14 president went unnoticed. Instead, all ears are tuned to Berri, and this Friday, Hassan Nasrallah, who is expected to announce... something...

Comments

[Jeha]

The opposition cannot have a candidate. Aside from Aoun, not one of them really wants to move beyond the lucrative status quo ante...

It strikes me that tweedle de and tww=eedle dum would be an apt description of Harb and N. Lahoud. If that is the best that March 14 can do then they might as well fold their tent instead of burdening the Lebanese with appeasers. The "opposition" is not in a position to have a credible nominee, the best that they can do is to make sure that March 14 does not choose a strong candidate that will stand up to HA and its foreign partners.

[Shunkleash]

"Instead, all ears are tuned to Berri, and this Friday, Hassan Nasrallah, who is expected to announce... something..."---->Maybe he will announce his unfettered loyalty to the state and that he has seen the error of his ways and will voluntarily turn himself in to police and face the Courts. Or, maybe i can wake up!

If we are to follow the actions of the loyal peace loving "opposition" up to this point it is clear that they have no intention whatsoever of partipiating in the democratic process. There is no alternative, there is no open discussion there is no candidate. The opopsition in the form of hizbteezee will do what they are told to do AND WHEN TO DO IT by their masters.

Look for some extraordinary event (brought to our atention by Berri of course) that will scuttle the latetst efforts to resolve the impasse.

N Lahoud has the gene in his DNA..you know the "im a lick ass coward" gene like his famous bronzed cousin and poor C Rizk and B Harb well, they are just half and whole idiots respectively.

ayesh lubnan

[Bad Vilbel]

Of course the opposition won't disclose a candidate. It's part and parcel to their M.O. Make demands that cannot ever come to pass all the while accusing the other side of being responsible for obstructionism.

Obviously, if you don't name a candidate, there is no chance that the other side might accept him as a compromise and get you off your high horse. So you never name a candidate...

[Bad Vilbel]

Well, at least the authorities are kindasorta trying to show proof and accountability:

Naharnet Link

In response to the FPM charges (about those FPMers that got arrested for "weapons training" last week), police issued a statement and a series of photographs of alleged FPM activists training on the use of weapons and wearing military fatigues.

The police statement said that in line with instructions from the military attorney general, two persons were arrested.

Hey, at least the police is trying to show the public their evidence or some kind of proof, for a change.

Don't get me started on the Jbeil MPs who decided to call the Police a "militia", all the while denying the FPMers are a militia. Bizarro world...

[LebExile]

oh yeah... so now...
Hassy wants out of his RAT HOLE,
Berri wants to be king maker,
Hariri in Washington,
Jumblatt in a spin over consensus,
Geagea ambigious and confused,
Tent city stays,

almost at full time,
Brook wants to marry Ridge,
Mrs Marple solves another case,
There's something going on between Olivia and Stabler...

stay tuned...

[Joe M.]

Here is the legality of your great Lebanese state:
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/909908.html

you complain day after day about Hizbullah using it's arms illegally and how they pose a threat to the country, ok, fine, maybe that is true... But this is the sickening hypocrisy of the Lebanese government (and it's supporters). On what authority did they destroy Nahr al-Bared? They dragged the country into a limited war that killed 400 or so people, on ZERO authority. Only now do they issue an arrest warrant, it's pathetic.

If you believe in rule of law (as you constantly claim to do), you will denounce the Nahr al-Bared operations. You will admit that they were EQUALLY as illegal and dangerous as Hizbullah's capture of Israeli soldiers. and you will admit that the suffering to the Palestinians from the camp was a sickening display of wanton conduct by the government.

Let's both admit that Hizbullah's operations were wrong. But let's also both admit that the government was equally as wrong in its illegal attack on Nahr al-Bared.

[ghassan karam]

Joe M. what to the hell are you objecting to? A government that is living up to its constitutional authority of protecting the welfare of its citizens? What did you expect the government response to FAI gang and retards to be? What kind of a sick mind will dare equate the blatantly provocative illegal acts of HA militia to the heroics of army personnel who gave the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect the state? Only an immature and a sick person can make such accusations that honestly do not warrant a response because they are the personification of ignorance and irresponsible statements. I decided to sink to your level by honouring your blatherings with a response so that you will not misconstrue silence as support for your utterly babbling ,irrational and inchoate post.

[Shunkleash]

DID YOU GUYS READ THIS?

I can just imagine tezzee boy calling blueBerri to ask him "who gave Mr. Makari balls?!"

Read it and become amused and enlightened and then remeber that you are lebanese and nice things are fleeting.

Ayesh Lubnan

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The deputy speaker of Lebanese Parliament said lawmakers may elect a president by simple majority vote, rather than the previously required two-thirds majority.

Lebanese Deputy Speaker Farid Makari said during a visit to the United States with Future Parliamentary Bloc leader Saad Al-Hariri that he would chair a vote requiring only a half-plus-one majority for president if asked by the March 14 Alliance, KUNA, the Kuwait News Agency, reported Friday.

"If leaders (of the March 14 Allaince) approach me for chairing a half-plus-one majority vote, and if I learn that Speaker Nabih Berri is not going to carry out this duty, then I will not hesitate to do so," Makari said.

The current procedure requires a presidential candidate to secure a two-thirds majority to claim victory. By political consensus, the candidate must also be a Maronite Christian.

The election process was postponed by Speaker Nabih Berri until Oct. 23 last week after members of the pro-Syrian bloc of parliament refused to participate, making a two-thirds majority impossible.

[JoseyWales]

Gus,

Thanks for telling Joe M(oron) to STFU.

I'm sick of demented fucks who, cuz the Palis got screwed 60 years ago, end up justifying beheading Lebanese soldiers for no reason other than to attack our people and our state.

Hey Joe M(oron), even the Palestinian authorities OK-ed the operation against the "camp". Does that mean anything to sub-idiots like you?

As to the UPI thing, old story by now. It confuses like everyone, back and forth, 2/3 majority with 2/3 quorum.

[Shunkleash]

Golly JW why'd you burst my bubble like that:-)