A legacy is up for grabs in Lebanon, but will anyone seize the opportunity?
It doesn”t really matter whether one is a fan of a given politician – certain figures have legacies that remain for years after their time in office. Mention the name Fouad Shehab, and one might recall the establishment of key state institutions during his presidency. Mention Rafik Hariri, and one thinks of, among other things, postwar economic reconstruction.
Mention Emile Lahoud, and one might associate his stay in Baabda Palace with unlimited support for the resistance against Israel.
Again, one might not agree with a given politician, but legacies are made when a certain policy is carried out with a strong level of commitment, irrespective of the results.
We are now seeing two political "beginnings" – for the prime minister-designate, Saad Hariri, as he seeks to form a Cabinet, and for Michel Sleiman, whose one-year grace period ended with the recent parliamentary elections, and who is for all practical purposes is beginning his term as president of the Republic.
On Wednesday, we advocated serious work on a national defense policy, to address in a serious ways the deficiencies of the past and the challenges of the present and future.
Today, we advocate part two: a judiciary that is independent and effective. We and others have raised this banner before; the key question is whether a politician can turn it into a legacy, one recalled by coming generations.
Focusing on Hariri, since the spotlight is now turned in his direction, we can state that by fully embracing and carrying out such an initiative, he will be paying tribute to the memory of his father, while performing a much-needed service for his country.
The task requires serious work and preparation, or launching a "workshop," as we say in Arabic, by which we really mean a campaign. In the US, it”s sometimes called a war, as in the war on drugs, or the war on poverty. We usually don”t see this kind of war in our politics, unfortunately.
Hariri”s father championed economic reconstruction, while benefiting from the 1990s sigh of relief that 15 years of fighting had ended; his son might not have access to such support. But Hariri has an ally, judging from Sleiman”s support for judicial reform in his inaugural address.
If both men launch a serious war on judicial corruption and inefficiency they will help Lebanon free up its own considerable economic potential, whether by attracting foreign direct investment or harnessing the billions of dollars at the disposal of the Lebanese diaspora. An independent and responsive judiciary also empowers people: as in the citizenry, or the tax base, however one thinks of it.
This legacy – "s/he gave us an independent judiciary" – is certainly up for grabs in Lebanon. Are there any takers?