Presidency Negotiations Moving Forward

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It seems the opposition is beginning to accept the idea of a neutral president who is closer to March 14

I read today’s Alhayat report on Lebanon and came out slightly more optimistic that perhaps we can have a new President soon. Maybe those bishops know what they’re doing after all.

It seems Mr. Sleiman Frangieh, one of Syria’s closest allies, has abandoned the “Aoun or nobody” ship. After meeting with the Patriarch, he said that he wants someone who’s neither from March 14 nor from March 8, and before anyone thinks he was referring to Mr. Aoun, he said: “I’m saying this in front of the General [Aoun]“.

Also, from reading what Mr. Berri’s “sources” had to tell Alhayat, I sense realistic expectations from the opposition. It seems Mr. Berri will settle for someone who is “neutral”, close to the majority but not hostile to the opposition. Could he mean Mr. Harb or Mr. Nassib Lahoud?

Knowing you guys, I’m sure that by now you’re all rigorously searching for the catch, and you might be right. Perhaps Mr. Berri is just buying some time. Maybe he’s posturing to paint March 14 with the intransigence brush if things go wrong. Hell he could be doing this just to lower March 14’s guards in preparation for “something big”. Also, what if all these olive branches are designed to discredit Mr. Walid Jumblat when he speaks of imminent Iranian mayhem in Washington?

But then again, maybe not. Maybe the Syrians and the Iranians do want a real break to catch their breath after all this international squeezing. Remember, it was Berri who first offered to concede, and it is Hamas in Gaza who is calling for talks with a dismissive Abu Mazen.

This is why, just for the sake and fun of it, I suggest we all get wild and be cautiously optimistic, if only for the time being.

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Discussion

No comments for “Presidency Negotiations Moving Forward”

yes mustapha, and thinking about it, it cannot be in syria’s immediate interest for civil war to break up in lebanon for it would have unpredictable consequences for the stability of the “Baathist” regime. I think the regime idealy wishes a stable Lebanon, albeit one able and willing to strike Israel at any time. The Syrians will be “negotiating” on the edge and we should all know this.

Posted by ramzi M | October 15, 2007, 3:04 pm
March 14 has been going to great lengths distancing Robert Ghanem from the….Next President?? Robert Ghanem

Posted by Danny | October 15, 2007, 7:12 pm
funny article BS. One thing is sure, we can’t be sure of anything anymore! ;-)

Posted by Ralf | October 15, 2007, 7:37 pm
Aoun abandonned unofficially (according to some internal sources of the CPL) the presidency about 3 months ago but kept his official positions to be the greatest elector during the current phases.

Nothing new …

Posted by frenchy | October 15, 2007, 8:12 pm
the catch

Usually war breaks out or there is a bomb at the height of our optimism, but I am going to be optimistic and hope that things actually go well for once.

Posted by whywesteppin | October 15, 2007, 9:21 pm
That is simple to explain: Nabih Berri wants to restrict dissidence to the Christian factions, pitting FPM against Mar. 14 Christians, while relieving the tension of the Sunni-Shia political struggle in Leb.

He’s just saying “I want to get along with you people, but our Christian friends are undecided yet”. He’s betting on the impossibility of agreement between them.

From the look of it, I think it’s an extremely safe bet. He’s one hell of a smart prick.

Posted by Z. H. | October 16, 2007, 10:03 am
It seems Mr. Berri will settle for someone who is “neutral”, close to the majority but not hostile to the opposition. You are forgetting- Nasrallah himself has still not said he wants Aoun. Syria, Iran & Hez can’t want Aoun as President, it’s a ‘tap dance’ until the guy they all really want is presented. You can bet that they have already struck their “deal” with him, the rest is just window dressing.

It won’t be either N. Lahoud or Harb. We just don’t know for sure who it is yet.

Posted by Ace | October 16, 2007, 11:02 am

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Hello, my name is Mustapha and I blog in The Beirut Spring about Lebanese society and politics. I started in February 2005 after the killing of P.M. Rafik Hariri.