BEIRUT, 6 October 2004 — Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri held consultations to form a national unity Cabinet but prospects to woo the opposition dimmed yesterday amid international pressure to end Syria’s domination of Lebanese politics. “Consultations are continuing and it may take until the end of the week or maybe until next week,” a government source told AFP.
A source close to the talks said Hariri was unlikely to take any decision before tomorrow’s crucial ruling by the UN Security Council on a UN report calling on Syria to end its presence in Lebanon. But the chances of forming a national unity cabinet to ease the country’s political paralysis plummeted after Hariri allies as well as the Christian opposition moved toward refusing to sign up.
“It has become clear there will be no government of national unity after the man who (caused UN Security Council) Resolution 1559 (Lahoud) stayed on with the extension of his term by force,” said leading daily An-Nahar. “There will be no clearance for the sin that was committed. Most of the country will not accept to play the submissive servant and hail those who are ... jeopardizing the country’s security,” he said.
Lebanon has been in political crisis since parliament adopted a Syrian-backed constitutional amendment on September 2 to extend the term in office of President Emile Lahoud, Hariri’s main political foe.
The amendment came just a day after the Resolution 1559 — sponsored by Washington and Paris — which called for a Syrian troop pullout and an end to Damascus’ domination of Lebanon. Hariri is widely expected to resign and form a new government to ease the political deadlock. His consultations have even taken him to Damascus for talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad, and on his way back with the head of Syrian military intelligence in Lebanon, Maj. Gen. Rustom Ghazaleh.
The Democratic Gathering of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who has called for an end to Syrian political and security interference, refused categorically to join any Cabinet under Damascus protege Lahoud. “Even thinking about participation would be political suicide,” Jumblatt said Monday, insisting that his gathering could not take part in the government after having refused to vote for the constitutional amendment.
