Lebanon Set to Name Outgoing Karami as New PM

[plasticsundance]

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7849697

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's president looked set to ask the outgoing pro-Syrian prime minister to form a government on Wednesday, a step sure to anger the anti-Syrian opposition who pressured him to resign in the first place.

President Emile Lahoud, buoyed by a mass rally in support of his Syrian backers, began consultations with MPs that were likely to preserve Syria's political grip on its much smaller neighbor.

Speaker Nabih Berri's bloc named Omar Karami as prime minister, as did the deputies of guerrilla group Hizbollah. Karami resigned as prime minister last week after huge anti-Syrian protests in Beirut but stayed on as caretaker.

Other pro-Syrian MPs were expected to follow, making it all but certain Karami would be reinstated.

[Kagemusha]

1. Context: They have no choice.

The constitution's written so that a Sunni needs to be in that position else a government cannot be formed. No Sunni was prepared to be in that position at all. Their alternative is martial rule or PURE ANARCHY.

I know it won't be seen this way, but I'm glad this is happening because the pure anarchy option is being taken off the table.

[plasticsundance]

2. Thank you, Kagemusha

I was not aware of that. I did a search to check it out, and you are indeed correct.

Here is the link with more information:

http://www.answers.com/topic/politics-of-lebanon

The presidency is reserved for a Maronite;
The prime minister, a Sunni Muslim, and
The president of the National Assembly, a Shi'a Muslim.

Efforts to alter or abolish the confessional system of allocating power have been at the center of Lebanese politics for decades. Those religious groups most favored by the 1943 formula sought to preserve it, while those who saw themselves at a disadvantage sought either to revise it after updating key demographic data or to abolish it entirely. Nonetheless, many of the provisions of the national pact were codified in the 1989 Ta'if Agreement, perpetuating sectarianism as a key element of Lebanese political life.

Although moderated somewhat under Ta'if, constitutionally, the president has a strong and influential position. The president has the authority to promulgate laws passed by the National Assembly, to issue supplementary regulations to ensure the execution of laws, and to negotiate and ratify treaties.

I believe it was the Ta'if Agreement that Hizbollah insisted must be adhered to.

[Kagemusha]

3. Yeah, that's the one. I got that info from Juan Cole actually.

But in light of the propaganda lately, is it unfair to say slavery is on the march again?

I mean, propaganda wise, gotta wonder.

[Teaser]

7. Oh I think Pure Anarchy is still quite possible.

The opposition may know that no other Sunni was available for the post, but they are still gonna be pissed about it.

[DeaconBlues]

4. What's this going to do to the present narrative of the media?

They claim this is like the fall of the Berlin wall, but what would we have done back in 89/90 if East Germans had went out en mass and demonstrated for communism, and this was followed by the reinstatement of the communist party? Either they will ignore this, or there will be some serious backpedaling.

[Kagemusha]

5. I vote for ignoring and repetition of Bush's demands on Syria.

We'll see.

[DeaconBlues]

6. Your probably right

They sure do love to trumpet Bush's so-called victories and his demands upon a defenseless world. And typically we here less than a peep about the consequences of Bush's actions.