Stalemate over new Lebanon president
Lebanon’s parliament failed to elect a successor to President Emile Lahoud just hours before he was due to leave office today, putting the country in a potentially explosive political vacuum.
In the absence of a president, the anti-Syrian government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora takes executive power under the constitution.
But pro-Syrian Mr Lahoud has said he will not hand over to Mr Saniora’s group, claiming any transfer of power would be unconstitutional.
“Any step taken by Fuad Saniora to take over the presidency’s duties … within hours the opposition will be on the streets to bring him down by force,” warned opposition politician Wiam Wahhab.
The most dangerous possibility is that Mr Lahoud could create an alternative government and hand it his power. Mr Saniora’s Western-backed government would probably refuse to step aside, leaving Lebanon with two rival governments, much like during the last two years of the 1975-90 civil war.
A compromise possibility is that Mr Lahoud will entrust his security powers to the heads of the military, a move that the government would likely not oppose, effectively putting the situation on hold to allow further talks on a candidate.
“We are giving wide space to the continuation of dialogue and consultations,” said Akram Chehayeb of a hard-line faction in the parliament backing Saniora. “We want to preserve civil peace.”
Others in the majority said they would not take any drastic measures such as electing one of their own in a simple majority ignoring the opposition boycott.
Walid Jumblatt, a prominent leader in the majority, said afterwards that he continues to hold out for consensus on a candidate, stressing that the priority was to prevent the political tensions from turning into violence.
“We will continue to work for consensus and national peace,” he said.
The military has been on alert for several days.
Today hundreds of troops in tanks, armoured carriers and jeeps deployed along roads leading to the Lebanese capital and around the central area where the parliament building is located.
