Tour of duty
If Speaker Nabih Berri were sincere about national dialogue, sincere about finding a solution to the presidential crisis, he would fulfill his duty to convene the legislature. But Berri knows, of course, that such a move would marginalize him even further within the Hezbollah-led opposition. He also knows that, should all parties actually attend such a constitutionally-mandated dialogue session, the MPs present would be legally able to – God forbid – elect a new president at the same time.
As an opposition leader, both of the above are perfectly understandable reasons for Berri to continue obstructing the institution he was elected to convene. But they should also dash any lingering notions that Berri is qualified to impartially lead a national dialogue, regardless of where it is held.
Berri”s calls for dialogue are empty. Several of his own allies have even spoken out against the idea, and the majority of his opponents are against it. Rather, the proposal is aimed at concurrently relieving pressure on Syria – particularly after last month’s disastrous Arab Summit in Damascus – and bringing Syria back into the discussion on Lebanon, while also bolstering Berri”s domestic standing. Once the opposition”s “negotiator,” Berri”s role has been overshadowed by Hezbollah-favorite Michel Aoun in recent months, and the speaker is keen to reassert himself as a major player.
It is worth noting that, so far, the tour undertaken by Berri to rally external support for his initiative has included only Syria. Berri has spoken of his desire to visit various other capitals, including Riyadh and Paris, but nothing has been confirmed, and his potential hosts have shown little enthusiasm. While some regional states are likely to receive Berri in the end for the sake of appearances, the reception will be decidedly lukewarm – in stark contrast to Prime Minister Fouad Siniora”s, thus far, highly-successful regional tour. As Berri waits for invitations to follow up on what was, essentially, little more than a photo-op with Bashar al-Assad, Siniora has zipped from capital to capital, building support for an Arab foreign ministers summit to discuss the situation in Lebanon.
Ideally, the Lebanese crisis should be resolved internally, through dialogue at the parliament. What is the point of even having institutions if they are not respected? But given the apparent impossibility of convening the warring factions at the Place de l”Etoile, it is Siniora”s tack that holds the most promise. As long as Syria and Iran continue to actively obstruct a solution through their Lebanese allies, like Berri, any domestic roundtable can be little more than a farce.
Once again, the Lebanese political situation is reflecting broader regional and international divisions – and vice-versa. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that one can be solved without the other. But we must not be distracted by Berri”s disingenuous call for dialogue, one that appears to put Syria”s interests ahead of Lebanon”s. After all, if it were domestic, even-handed discussions that Berri were seeking, he”d simply unlock parliament”s doors.