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Lebanon is without a government; Hariri takes Holiday yet somehow it’s Aoun’s fault?

Labib Chemali

The stall in the formation of the Government is a result of the March 14 group's coming to terms with Druze leader Walid Jumblatt’s defection last week leaving them without a majority.

While coming as no surprise, since even before the elections Jumblatt has been hinting at a characteristic position shift. So far the most extravagant way to deal with the issue has been Future Movement leader Saadedine Hariri's.

Having been appointed Prime Minister Designate and charged with forming Lebanon’s new cabinet, Hariri has demonstrated lack lustre leadership skills by taking a week off to holiday with his family in Eurupe; meanwhile Saudi Information and Culture Minister Abdel Aziz Khoja came to Lebanon hoping to clean up the mess left behind by Hariri.

To deflect March 14’s ever weakening position and the internal problems they are facing; they are attacking MP Michel Aoun, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement who also leads the Change and Reform Bloc in Lebanese Parliament.

The largest Christian bloc and second largest overall bloc in Lebanon’s Parliament, Change & Reform, have made many compromises and concessions in order to facilitate the formation of the Government.

However, in a moment of weakness March 14 have ramped up their attacks on Aoun through various press outlets and cite that the holdup is related to Aoun’s alleged insistence that current Telecommunications Minister Gibran Bassil, return as a Minister.

Rather than focus on his record as a Minister achieving more in 6 months as Telecommunications Minister than his predecessors in March 14 for the previous 15 years; the March 14 group are focusing on the fact the Bassil is Aoun’s son in law.

Rather than realising that the selection of Ministers appropriated to each Political Party is an internal Party affair, March 14 are continuing their offensive. So until March 14 gets their act together and tries to scrape together what is left of their faltering coalition, the public will continue to hear attacks against Aoun and his apparent insistence on including Bassil in the next Hariri lead cabinet.

Despite purported links with Al Qaeda affiliated extremist Sunni groups, the Saudi backed Future Movement of Prime Minister Designate Saadedine Hariri is perceived as pro Western as they do not actively oppose the naturalization and permanent settlement of the half million plus Palestinian refugees in Lebanon at the expense of the Lebanese indigenous population. Such a move would be seen to serve Israel as it is absolved of the responsibility of the refugees that resulted from its creation (and in contravention of United Nations Security Council Resolution 194); Saudi Arabia would also see benefits as such a move would tilt Lebanon's delicate demographic balance of 3.5 million people in favor of the Sunni sect since the Palestinian refugees are primarily Sunni Muslim.

Both Israel and Saudi Arabia are the United State's major allies in the Middle East.


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