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Army Chief Could Become Lebanon President


Lebanon's political vacuum could be headed toward a resolution with the country's army chief emerging as a likely candidate for the presidency, officials said on Wednesday. Several MPs and politicians from the ruling bloc and the Lebanese national opposition told AFP that negotiations on electing a new president were now focused on General Michel Sleiman, commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

MP Ammar Houry, from the Future Parliamentary bloc, said that there was agreement within the ruling bloc to amend the constitution in order to allow Sleiman to become head of state, thus ending a year-long crisis that has left the country on the brink of chaos. According to Lebanon's constitution, senior public servants can seek the presidency only two years after resigning from their post and for that reason the constitution would need to be amended for Sleiman to be elected.
 

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Login to find out (November 28, 2007 at 3:50pm)
Mohammad Fneish, a Hezbollah MP and one of the ministers who resigned last year, told AFP that the group's acceptance of Sleiman as president hinged on opposition leader and declared candidate General Michel Aoun agreeing. Simon Abiramia, an advisor to Aoun, said all scenarios were possible and that the situation could become clearer early next week.
"We must take into account realities on the ground and the red lines that we ourselves drew," Abiramia said. "That means maintaining civil peace and the unity of the country."
 
Login to find out (November 28, 2007 at 3:50pm)
After five aborted attempts, parliament is scheduled to reconvene on Friday to pick a successor to former President Emile Lahoud, who left office last week with feuding politicians unable to agree on a consensus candidate to replace him. Several officials said that session was not likely to take place as more time was needed to finalize an accord on Sleiman.

However, not everyone was cheering the choice of Sleiman to end the political deadlock that began last November. "I am personally opposed to Sleiman's nomination as it would be against democratic principles," said Boutros Harb, a member of the ruling bloc and a declared presidential candidate now apparently out of the running. "I have nothing against him personally ... but his appointment would amount to prostituting the constitution once again."