A Call for a "Coup d'Etat"
Hassan Haydar Al Hayat - 28/12/07//
There are usually many motives behind the military coups d'etat that third world countries witness, including the Middle East. This is even though the Arabs who belong to this world and to an underdeveloped one have fled from this kind of "policy" a while ago. Some are triggered by military men's belief that rulers are corrupt and there is no way to fix, reform and restore their regime except through armed force. Others are rooted in a political ideology espoused by some officers but not by a wide mass base that is enough to prompt a change through vote ballots, if available. Still others can be inspired by a close or faraway nation which has a certain influence or interests that require protection or reinforcement. Some can be elicited by personal interests and a simple yearning for ruling.
Lebanon has witnessed in its modern history a revolutionary attempt during the era of President Fouad Chehab. It was undertaken by officers belonging to the "Syrian National Party" but it was doomed to failure. Some considered forming a government of military men towards the end of the era of President Amine Gemayel a sort of "a coup d'état" though it was constitutional. But this country is witnessing today a vicious crisis that practically started with the assassination of PM Rafik Hariri and became more prominent when the Shiite Ministers left the government. It is a crisis that paralyzed the institutions and the economy, and hindered the election of a new president for the republic. There doesn't seem to be any solution for it on the horizon as a result of the severe political rift between the ruling majority and the opposition, the prevailing mistrust between them, and the exchange of subjection and monopoly accusations.
The striking factor, however, is that they are all in agreement regarding the candidacy of the Head of the Army General Michel Suleiman for the Presidency. The parliamentary majority upholds his candidacy to date and has called for amending the constitution in the parliament to protect his mandate from any speculation or contestation. The opposition rushed in to confirm that he was their candidate in first place and stood up for this candidacy, not to mention that they praised his deeds and history. Suleiman's candidacy was also praised by France, welcomed by the US, supported by Syria, and acclaimed by Iran. Thus, it seemed that the elections were hours away and were subject to minor negotiations on the way to amend the constitution and its details. However, the Lebanese were surprised to learn that the conflicts between the Lebanese parties transcended the mere election of a president and encompassed all that revolves around politics, economy, and consensus. They also learned that the stream of conditions and counter conditions is endless, and what is publicized is different from what is being harbored and what is said is different from it is being whispered. The reports and statements carry more than one denotation and connotation. They became convinced that it is an open crisis and is probably awaiting the outcome of the Arab summit of Damascus next March. It may also linger until the following summit. Thus, they may have to remain without a president, without an active parliament, and without a full-fledged government until further notice.
In light of this complicated situation that is intertwined and tangled with the local, regional and international situation, it is probably the right of the Lebanese to call for a "military coup d'état" as long as there is an existing consensus to have the head of the army take over the presidency as a fait accompli. This way, he can overcome the rifts and hurdles of the politicians and revive the institutions on a balanced basis. He can form a government of resigned technocrats whose main mission would be to reassure the Lebanese about their future by focusing on their actual, rather created, problems.
But the real questions is: what will the army do then about the other "armies" present on the Lebanese territory, whether local or regional, and will they allow him to fulfill his mission to keep Lebanon at bay of conflicts and their upshots?
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