Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)
In the history of U.S.-Lebanese relations, no American president has pledged to support Lebanese democracy more than George W. Bush. No American president has invited Lebanese officials to the White House more than he has… Yet despite all this U.S. attention and care for Lebanon, the biggest political coalition in that country… has been powerless in passing laws and naming a president. Indeed, why has the pro-U.S. coalition of parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri failed to rule like any other majority operating in a democratic setting would? …
The Lebanese system sadly resembles that of world politics: It is essentially anarchic. In Lebanon, a delicate balance of power between different religious communities assures public security and political stability. While appealing on the surface, this system has its costs. Any alteration in that balance of power, whether caused by internal dissatisfaction or external intervention, can cause the government to disintegrate. …
Simply put, Hariri’s coalition cannot rule without negotiating with the other and cannot impose its will or ideas on the opposition. This obviously goes for the opposition too. Hence the critical need to come out of this current mess by electing a neutral president who can oversee the transition from a system of particularistic politics (the current one) to majoritarian politics (the one aspired for). The United States can help Lebanon fulfill that project by respecting the balance of power between its religious communities and continuing to protect it from undue Syrian intervention. Access the full article>>