The elections called for May 29 by Lebanon’s new premier, Najib Mikati, are the latest step in a fundamental realignment of the country’s political affairs. The call for elections coincided with the resignation of the country’s two pro-Syrian security chiefs, widely criticized for their dubious chairmanship of the investigations into the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.
The coming election which is likely to be hard-fought is also slated to be the freest and fairest election held in years. Local and foreign monitors, including representatives from the European Union, will be watching the process closely. While political parties may be divided, all Lebanese seem to share a single unity of purpose — that their country is not to be plunged again into the bloody horrors of civil strife in which outside forces used it as a proxy battleground.
There remain, however, some hurdles before the vote can go ahead. The electoral system is extremely complicated and Parliament needs to pass a new election law. The proposed legislation would redefine voting districts. Both ends of the political spectrum agree that larger constituencies will favor pro-Syrian candidates while more and smaller districts will benefit their opponents. Yet by the time Lebanese go to the ballot boxes, the last of the Syrian forces will have been withdrawn from the country, along with their once all-powerful security apparatus. No one is really sure what effect the removal of Syrian influence will have on voters. Even those who believe that Syria played an important role in restoring stability after the civil war, may yet choose to vote a purely Lebanese, rather than a pro-Syrian, ticket.
Even if Parliament does not approve the elections and the new legislation, Premier Mikati has made it clear that the voting will go ahead anyway for two days within the constitutional deadline. His determination is to be applauded and will surely unite all Lebanese, regardless of their political stable. UN Resolution 1559 demands not only a withdrawal of all foreign forces but an end to all foreign interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs. This includes not only the Syrians but also the Israelis who have long pursued a destabilization policy in the country.
Many Lebanese still look back to the time forty years ago when Beirut was the major Middle Eastern financial center and a key commercial hub. On all sides of the political divide, there is a sense that a chance is coming to recreate those economic strengths, with Lebanese once again masters of their own destinies and free of outside interference.
There is unfortunately one other hurdle they face before casting their votes and that is the matter of diehard extremists who have lived so long and so well on the country’s bitter divisions. These people may yet plan one desperate final act. Any such outrage would surely demonstrate how out of touch the extremists are and how little they understand the resolution of all Lebanese to win back undisputed control of their country.
