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Ruling Bloc Freezes Potential Solution
When the ruling bloc foiled any solution to the Lebanon crisis.
At their first meeting last month, Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Sultan, raised the Lebanese political crisis with Iran's National Security Secretary General Ali Larijani. Bandar also proposed a formula to solve it, although Larijani had not yet been briefed on the details of the Lebanese situation.
Nonetheless Bandar delivered the demands of the Lebanese ruling bloc, while Larijani forwarded the demands of the Lebanese National Opposition. They include:
1. A national unity government with 19 ministers for the ruling bloc and 11 ministers for the opposition; the 19-11 formula.
2. Postponing the formation of the international tribunal to try those responsible for the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri, until the international investigation is concluded.
3. Issuing a law to hold early elections.
Deliberations continued between Bandar and Larijani for almost 45 hours, during which the Saudi prince told his Iranian counterpart that the "19-11 formula" was not a problem, unlike the issue of the tribunal (until the international investigation was concluded).
At their first meeting last month, Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Sultan, raised the Lebanese political crisis with Iran's National Security Secretary General Ali Larijani. Bandar also proposed a formula to solve it, although Larijani had not yet been briefed on the details of the Lebanese situation.
Nonetheless Bandar delivered the demands of the Lebanese ruling bloc, while Larijani forwarded the demands of the Lebanese National Opposition. They include:
1. A national unity government with 19 ministers for the ruling bloc and 11 ministers for the opposition; the 19-11 formula.
2. Postponing the formation of the international tribunal to try those responsible for the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri, until the international investigation is concluded.
3. Issuing a law to hold early elections.
Deliberations continued between Bandar and Larijani for almost 45 hours, during which the Saudi prince told his Iranian counterpart that the "19-11 formula" was not a problem, unlike the issue of the tribunal (until the international investigation was concluded).
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Then came the surprise on 14 February: Hariri retracted his position in a televised interview. A delegation from the opposition visited Ambassador Khoja to express resentment. Khoja, according to sources, was embarrassed and said: "I'm only a mediator, give us a chance."
Contrary to these facts which confirm the existence of a serious Saudi-Iranian effort, all contacts between Saudi Arabia and the opposition are apparently cut for the meantime. Speaker Berri is returning to Lebanon next week, contrary to what some papers said and the opposition is considering escalating its moves after all political efforts with the ruling bloc reached a dead end, with civil disobedience being a seriously studied option.
After several meetings between the opposition and the Saudi side in Lebanon, parallel to the Bandar-Larijani meetings, the opposition announced its full support to the Saudi-Iranian effort to solve the political crisis in Lebanon and agreed to cancel the notion of postponing the formation of the international tribunal and replace it with discussing its articles and system through one or two panels. At the same time ministerial portfolios would be deliberated according to the "19-11 formula".
According to sources, Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Abdul Aziz Khoja worked hard with the opposition to overcome this obstacle, and delivered King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz?s reassurances saying: "do not count on Jumblatt's comments. We are ready to make amendments that would preserve the tribunal as an unpoliticized criminal court."