LIC Position Statement on the French Initiative

November 12, 2007

 

 

Despite their honest commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty and democracy, and despite their strong warning to Damascus regarding Syria’s interference in the upcoming Lebanese presidential elections, the French created significant confusion with their new initiative last week.

 

In an attempt to secure a safe transfer of the Lebanon’s presidency and to avoid a dangerous political vacuum, France sent a high-level delegation to Lebanon. Sarkozy's chief of staff Claude Gueant, accompanied by Bouris Poilon, Sarkozy's technical adviser on Middle East affairs, arrived Friday November 9th in Beirut, after a visit to Damascus, met with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Speaker Nabih Berri and parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri.

 

The French emissaries presented the Lebanese with the following plan for the Lebanese presidency:

1. Maronite Patriarch Sfeir drafts a list of six candidates acceptable to both March 14th and March 8th camps.

2. Speaker Nabih Berri picks a name from the list in agreement with Majority leader Saad Hariri.

3. The Parliament then goes–with the approval and participation of March 8th- to vote to that particular “consensus” or “compromise” candidate.

 

The problems generated by this plan are:

1. The principle of “electing a president on time, according to the constitution, to UNSCR 1559, and without foreign interference” is undermined by this initiative. The French initiative bypasses the Lebanese Parliament and strips the representatives of the Lebanese people from their sacred duty of voting for a new president, in total freedom, and after 17 years of foreign coercion.

2. Patriarch Sfeir has refused so far to name candidates. Pressuring him to do so will yield only further divisions and friction within the Christian community, something the Patriarch has been very much concerned about.

3. There is no acceptable candidate to “both March 14th and March 8th”. March 14th candidate is the one committed to total sovereignty and independence, to implementing international resolutions and international justice. March 8th candidate is the one committed to the Syrian-Iranian agenda, to keep the militias’ rule, and to reinstate Syrian tutelage. How could they agree on one candidate?

4. Berri can only execute Syria’s and Iran’s choices for the presidency. It is a grave mistake to give him the privilege to choose a president after all his schemes to stop the International Tribunal and delay the presidential elections.

 

Practically speaking, the new French initiative:

1. relieves March 8th and Syria from US and international pressure, and allows Berri to either produce a Syrian-approved president, or provoke chaos through his dubious decision to schedule the parliamentary session on November 21st-only 48 hours before the current presidential term expires, thus increasing tremendously the risk of a presidential vacuum in case the session does not take place.

2. prevents the legitimate majority from fulfilling their right and obligation in calling for elections starting November 14th, for fear of appearing as refusing to give a chance to the French initiative.

 

Knowing that this new French initiative has been portrayed in many Lebanese circles as being in total coordination with the US and as a result of Presidents Bush-Sarkozy’s talks, it is imperative that the US:

1. reiterates the American position particularly the one expressed by Secretary Rice on November 1st that: “the March 14th majority should not be put in a position of having to accept extra-constitutional measures or measures that would undermine the program that they stand for, which is, for instance, complete adherence to Resolution 1559, to the tribunal being held when it is prepared”.

2. contacts the French Officials to adopt a similar approach insisting on the constitutional process in line with the American and International stance mentioned above, and to avoid the “name game” which only plays into Syria’s hands. The French should clearly state that come November 14th it becomes the constitutional duty of the Members of Parliament to convene to elect a President for the Republic of Lebanon.

 

 

© 2007 Lebanese Information Center – www.licus.org

 

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