Berri in charge

How revolting is it to see the speaker of parliament visiting Bashar Assad to get his blessings for another round of time-buying? Berri has forgotten about the election of a president, scandalously putting it behind him, focusing on pushing forward Assad's agenda, which consists of paralyzing all state institutions until the MPs change, whether through violence or election.

Speaker Nabih Berri said that he will suggest to Lebanese factions that a dialogue be established in parliament on April 18, 19, 20 and 21 during which leaders will discuss the adoption of a new electoral law and the establishment of a national-unity government.

“The candidacy of Army Commander General Michel Sleiman has already been agreed upon,” Berri told the Lebanese daily As-Safir.

“If we reach an agreement, we will hold the presidential elections on April 22. If not, the elections will be postponed,” he added.

He noted that he is waiting for the results of the decisions made at the Arab Summit before establishing the dialogue. “If things are clear, I will undertake two important visits, one to Damascus and another to Riyadh,” Berri said.

“I will decide on my coming moves in light of the results of these two visits and of internal contacts, especially with MP Saad Hariri,” he added.

He also noted that the decisions made during the national dialogue roundtable are final. “It is the implementation procedures that are being debated.”

Berri said that if the situation remains as it is until the summer, “we must seriously consider an interim government that will prepare for the legislative elections in 2009.” He also stressed on the importance of agreeing on an electoral law, whether the 1960 or the 2000 models, the law suggested by the national committee under the presidency of Fouad Boutros, “or any other formula for a fair and just law.”

Berri said he fears that Lebanon will reach the 2009 legislative elections without an electoral law in place and with the legislative and presidential vacuum continuing. “This is why my priority is the electoral law,” he said.

So Berri wants to resume setting the agenda, after a brief interruption during which Michel Aoun was given the reign. If indeed the electoral law is a priority, then Berri should convene parliament right away to discuss it. But no, he couldn't do that. What if the deputies actually got together in one room and dared to "implement" their right to, say, elect a president?

It is sad, and depressing, that these simple truths evade so many. Berri should not be allowed to keep hijacking the process, and blaming lack of progress on "implementation procedures being debated". He should not get away with warning that if things don't go his way, " we will lose Lebanon". If you ask me, the priority right now should be losing Berri and his illegal "dialogue". The man has clearly sold his conscience to his Damascus master. He also clearly does not speak for parliament, so why continue to pretend that he does?

ANB is reporting that Berri is currently meeting with Assad in Damascus. This comes as Siniora, the prime minister Berri does not even recognize, is being reported as saying that Syria is holding Lebanon hostage.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora accused Syria of holding Lebanon hostage by blocking the election of a new president following talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.  Siniora told reporters he saw the Lebanese-Syrian relationship as one of siblings and “one sibling cannot kidnap his brother and keep him hostage in the hope of getting a ransom,” he said.

He urged Arab foreign ministers to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss the political deadlock in Lebanon and the country's strained relations with Syria. Siniora also called for the implementation of the Arab initiative, which calls for the election of Army Commander General Michel Sleiman as president, the formation of a national-unity government and the adoption of a new electoral law.

Siniora's retarded analogy apart, it pains me to see that Berri's latest call for dialogue is not being met with across the board rejection from March 14. We have heard a few voices, but it looks like at least Jumblatt and Gemayel are willing to humor Berri, for reasons only known to them. That's despite their acknowledgment that the war against Lebanon is taking the form of "deactivation" of its institutions.

President of the Kataeb party Amin Gemayel said he believed the difficulty of the Lebanese situation today had led some Lebanese to despair. “It is their right to be afraid, particularly when they see institutions under attack, the presidency in total vacuum, the parliament closed, and the Lebanese army subject to attempts at its destruction,” he added.

Gemayel said the war on Lebanon had taken a new form. “The war on Lebanon is not by guns or arms, but through the deactivation of institutions and political, social and economic life.”

“We resist this war, and we will win. We will not despair or fear,” he said.

How the hell are you going to "win this war" while keeping Berri in charge of you?

Comments

[Bad Vilbel]

I honestly don't know what to say. It's like being in the Twilight Zone. Why does March 14 play along with this nonesense? And if Assad can paralyze the presidency and have Berri move us along right past "go" and towards discussing the electoral law, why can't M14 play the same game? Play hardball for a change: No electoral law, no nothing until we have a president. And now, off to elect a president by 50+1. And then we'll pass the new electoral law by 50+1 as well. It's time someone told Berri and his band of traitors "Fuck you!" and go at it alone. Seriously.

[Meghwar]

Excuse the foul language, but as far as berri is concerned, I couldn’t find more suiting language, Fuck Berri and to hell with him and his time wasting "initiatives and dialogues and freaking nonsense" he can shove them where the sun doesn't shine, to keep the parliament key company.
Someone need to remind this crook that his Baalbak initiative amounted to big fat zero, he is as untrustworthy as they could come
He can stay in syria and spare us his shit!

Meanwhile, WTF M14 are doing ???
Let them grow some balls and Finish this masquerade already !
I am sick and tired of these incompetent chatterboxes, all they do is blabber!
Why not show us some action for a change???
Elect the damned president and get over with it !

[hide and seek]

Even if some (say... geagea or jumblat) want to "go for it" (50+1, etc) deep inside they know that a major part of m14 are afraid and won't jump in, so, instead of losing face by choosing an election day and no one appearing, they just sit and wait - spiting fire from time to time - but little else... and we stay in the usual "kbeer, khara kbeer"
Once they (m14) are united for a common goal, then, maybe then, things start to change for the better. For know they opted to be killed alone and in fear

[Abilama]

Beautiful. Seniora accuses Syria of holding Lebanon hostge and at the same time Berri is going to Canossa!

"Il n'est pas acceptable de kidnapper un pays frère et le prendre en otage dans l'espoir d'obtenir une rançon», a déclaré Fouad Siniora. (AP)

Berri is a bad joke!

In the meantime. Back in the farm....
Bashar Assad has fallen out with his brother-in-law Gen. Asif Shawqat, sacked him as military intelligence chief and appointed Gen. Aly Younes in his place.

Shawqat has not been seen in the capital for three weeks. Several intelligence officers were reported arrested in Damascus Monday, April 17.

The apparent downfall of Syria’s strongman is seen as symptomatic of a fierce rift in the top level of Syrian government. Assad decided at the last minute to hold back the report promised for Sunday, April 7, on the killing of HA leader Imad Mughniyeh last February, until after April 17, when the US House Intelligence Committee hears the details of Israel’s reported Sept 6, 2007 strike on a nuclear installation Syria was building with North Korean assistance. He will the decide how to play it.

The Bush administration and Jerusalem have agreed on the materials to be revealed there.

Israel turned up the heat this week by a claim leaked to Israeli media that Jerusalem had warned Damascus that Israel would hold Syria accountable and make it pay for any Hizballah attack on the Jewish state or against a Jewish or Israeli overseas target.

Sources in Damascus deny receiving any such warning.

Washington is trying to turn to her advantage the falling-out between Assad and Shawqat.

The Syrian ruler believes that Israel’s defense exercise against missile attack is also part of that effort. He assured his confidants that it will not work; he will never break off his close alliance with Iran – even if it costs him a military showdown with Israel.

As to the Mughniyeh report, the Syrian findings point the finger for the Hizballah army chief’s death in a secure section of Damascus at Israel, in conjunction with “Arab intelligence services” – specifically the Saudi service.

The last breach with Shawqat occurred when Assad took out of his hands the final wording of the Mughniyeh report and transferred it to Gen. Younes. Some Gulf intelligence sources familiar with Damascus’ inside affairs report that Assad ordered the new intelligence chief to saddle Gen. Shawqat with the guilt of failing to avert the Hizballah leader’s death.

As for the sacked intelligence chief’s whereabouts, some Gulf sources familiar with the Syrian scene claim he has moved to a military intelligence base in northern Syria to be among loyalist officers and men. His wife, Bashara, Assad’s sister, took herself and her children off to Paris in early March to get away from the quarrels between her husband and brother.

Shawqat had smuggled important incriminating documents about Assad's terror actions. Bashara had met Abdel Halim Khaddam in Paris at his avenue Foch apartment, and had briefed him.

[Meghwar]

على اللبنانيين ألا يخافوا
سركيس نعوم
ادارة جورج بوش التي تمثل اميركا التزمت استقلال لبنان وسيادته ووحدته وحريته ونظامه الديموقراطي. وأي ادارة اميركية مقبلة ستستمر في التزام هذا الموقف الايجابي من لبنان. لذلك على اللبنانيين ألا يخافوا. ان الادارة الاميركية المقبلة أياً تكن وسواء كان على رأسها أوباما أو كلينتون الديموقراطيان أو ماكين الجمهوري ستنخرط او يجب ان تنخرط في حوار مع سوريا. ويجب ان تنخرط سوريا في مفاوضات مع اسرائيل. ولاحقاً ينخرط لبنان في مفاوضات مع اسرائيل

To read the whole article
http://www.annahar.com/content.php?priority=6&table=makalat&type=makalat&day=Mon

[Jeha]

Abilama,

If what you are reporting pans out, we may already see the outline of a "deal" with Assad on the Hariri tribunal; trade in Shawkat for his own security. In this case, Berri's tour could fit in some general pattern. But that would not fit in with the "framing" of the Saudi services by Syria. Any "deal" the Syrians would make would need the good graces of the Saudis, after all...

The different pieces of information are contradictory. So the only "solid" fact from all past week is Murr's split from Aoun, and the General's silence about it. This suggests that the opposition is far weaker than it appears, though I would be surprised that Murr would cut all his bridges with Damascus.

The rest of the news may all be "noise"; too much contradictions among the reports...

[mustapha]

We have always believed that the solution to the current crisis rests squarely on the shoulders of M14. These guys have never taken any meaningful initiative to show leadership since they were elected as majority. In order to come out of this stagnant situation M14 must do the following:
1) Elect a president (not necessarily Mr. Sleiman) by a simple majority.
2) Remove Mr. Berri from his post and elect in his place a speaker who is more committed to Democracy and the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon.
3) Form a government and assign no seats to Hezbollah on the basis that an armed group must not partake in political life. Likewise, enact a law that will prevent those sympathetic to Hezbollah from running for parliament.
4) Demand that FPM choose someone else other than Michel Aoun as its leader. FPM must come out clean on issues such as International Tribunal, relations with Syria and policies regarding groups like Hezbollah and others who put Iranian interests above Lebanese interests. It would be a very good idea to ban Hezbollah.

[kalb]

Mus, such demands/critics on m14, while valid, assumes that m14 is a "sleepy giant" that don't act because is slow, incept, etc...
On my view (please, m14, act and prove me wrong) they're not "a giant" but a "bunch of dwarfs" that can't/don't want to act as a whole... much like in those pseudo-comedies when 2 or 3 dwarfs climb on each other's shoulders to pretend being a tall person - and in m14 case the finger points somewhere, the feet doesn't move but the bowels are working 200%

[Ghassan Karam]

I have found the courage to keep on, for the time being, experimenting with the Podcast medium. If anyone is interested I have a Podcast of the most recent article/column in Ya Libnan which deals with many of the issues raised by AK and others on this post. The Podcast in question is titled Would This Charade ever end. It may be heard on: Ramblings11.mypodcast.com

[Jeha]

"Would this charade ever end", eh?

One only has to read the Bible to see where the answer to the question is going. Then again, there's always hope.

Love the podcast, BTW...

[Bad Vilbel]

Ghassan,

Question: Is that always going to be where you post your podcasts? if so, let us know so we can bookmark it, rather than waiting on you to give us a link over here (if that made any sense).

[Andre]

M14 calls itself a "majority" but does not act like one. It has been neutralized and rendered inefficient because its members can't get past their differences. When all you have in common is to point the finger at Syria for all the problems of Lebanon then you lack vision and realism. While our "shakeeka" is responsible for many ills there is still the reality that there is a serious lack of effort in trying to solve the problems that affect the day to day lives of the people such as a failing economy, soaring unemployment, massive immigration especially by young and educated people, an almost non functional state and to top it off a bunch of silly politicians who are busy travelling around instead of focusing on those severe problems plaguing their nation.
What a frickin joke!

[Fuziyad]

Andre, I agree with you that the differences among m14 members make them weaker in a way. But that's unavoidable given the fact that m14 is not a political party but an alliance among many. Still, in a way this creates some balance, the die hards prevent us from collapsing while the moderates stopped us from going straight into civil war.

The situation is really though and overall eventhough some mistakes were made I think m14 generally did well on macropolitics. Concerning the problems that affect everyday life, I think they did fairly well too. Each and everyone of the ministers tried to innovate and do something of his portfolio and given the circumstances they performed decently.

Now what weakens m14 compared to the other side is that it doesn't have the popular support it used to have during beirut spring as their public is more critical. Am not saying m14 public should turn into blind followers like the other sheeps but still at one stage we should leave alone the "details" and stand for the main issue

[danny]

As the zero hour approaches for the "launching" of IT; house cleaning has continued in Syria. Syria has boasted that it co-operated with the investigation...see:
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&50A278DCAF4851ECC22574250055DAB4

They are not lying...They have killed off and induced accidents, "suicides" and self combustible headrests...

Kanaan, his brother, husam husam, Muggsy, Bahij Suleiman and others seem to be too clumsy recently. From reports, if it were to be believed, Shawkat is on his way to an accident...Ghazali is nowhere to be seen...

As for Berri, he was afraid that he could become a clutz also...ergo, his visit to Bashar to renew his passport and visa on this earth!! Nobody gives a rat's ass to what Berri has to say! Dialogue? Is this a conversation among deaf? ClAoun's orange seems to have caught a "frostbite". Murr has been a survivor. He does not switch just on a whim. The Orangebutts delayed their elections for "technical" reasons for SIX months. It must be some glitch.

As for the 50+1...Although I can dream, it will not happen! Again, NO change in Status Quo until the IT is operational...

[Solomon2]

"Should not, should not, should not"

In my opinion, people who live in the Land of Should and do nothing are contemptible. If something is happening that shouldn't then they have to get up off their butt and do something about it.

We can assume that the Cedar Revolution ground to a halt once Lebanon's enemies re-established fear-of-assassination control over Lebanon's political leadership. Your leaders can't or won't take initiatives any longer. It's up to the rank-and-file to do it for them. There is still one effective route open to you: mass demonstrations.

[andre]

I have to agree with you solomon2...the people must reclame their rights and their country!

[AK]

Ghassan, all:

You can now access Ghassan's podcast through the Lebanese blogosphere section in the left column.