Opposition insists Karami stalling to delay elections
Lebanon's opposition accused the Lebanese and Syrian government of attempting to deliberately sabotage the country's scheduled elections.
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Speaking after a meeting of about 70 opposition MPs and party members, Beirut MP Ghattas Khoury said: "The Lebanese-Syrian security regime, with its political and constitutional symbols, is working to sabotage the parliamentary polls in a dangerous attempt to extend the term of the current parliament, illegally and unconstitutionally."
Pointedly, the opposition for the first time slammed Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, blaming him for the current political crisis, which has rendered Lebanon without a government for more than four weeks.
Khoury said: "Berri is the speaker, and he has to take responsibility in issuing the electoral law and help forming a government that is able to carry out the elections."
Opposition anger has increased following the continuing failure of outgoing Prime Minister-designate Omar Karami to formally submit his resignation to President Emile Lahoud after announcing he no longer wanted to form a new government.
The opposition insists Karami is procrastinating in order to defer holding the elections. According to the Lebanese Constitution, the staggered elections should be held between April and May, as the Parliament's term ends May 31.
Khoury said: "We want Karami to resign because he is stalling. He's been designated to hinder the formation of a Cabinet, rather than forming one."
He added: "The authorities are responding to the Lebanese people with a policy of wasting time in to impose an extension of Parliament's mandate."
In a new development, the opposition announced its MPs will now take part in parliamentary consultations to designate a new prime minister, something they had steadfastly refused to do unless all their political demands were met.
Khoury said: "We will take part in consultations in order to form an honest government that supervises parliamentary elections in a transparent and neutral way, with the help of international observers overseeing the electoral process."
This declaration came as a surprise, following earlier refusals to take part in consultations held by Lahoud to designate a premier.
But against the backdrop of the ongoing Syrian withdrawal and the government's agreement to a United Nations- led international probe into Hariri's murder, the opposition is more amenable to joining any new interim government that would take the country into May's elections.
Wael Abu-Faour, Politburo member of Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party, told The Daily Star the opposition might go as far as taking part in a national unity government, if the rest of its demands are met.
He said: "We might take part in a government that contains partisan figures to oversee the electoral process if heads of security apparatus resign. If that happens, the opposition will then decide on its next step."
Abu-Faour also said the opposition was offering the authority "two ways out" in order to ensure elections take place on time.
Abu Faour said: "We agreed on either forming a neutral government made of reliable figures that are not running for the elections, or forming a partisan Cabinet that takes on its responsibility carrying the elections in a fair and transparent manner. The ball is in their court now. They have no reason to postpone the elections and should not stall any longer."
The opposition statement released after its meeting also reached out to the Hizbullah movement, and stressed the importance of preserving its role as a "key political party" in Lebanon.
The statement read: "We are sure that Hizbullah's role in freeing the land and detainees will work toward the enhancement of liberty, independence and national unity."
He also asserted the opposition's work is based on national demands, and is not subject to any external interference.
"Through our communique today, the opposition proves it is not responding to any American or French demands; we are only listening to the will and demands of the Lebanese people," he said.
Meanwhile, Qornet Shehwan member Jbeil MP Fares Soueid said the elections are going to take place in their constitutional time.
He said: "The opposition's main concern is to hold the elections as soon as possible. We will not accept any extension to the mandate of the current Parliament."
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Beirut
01-04-2005
Majdoline Atoum
The Daily Star
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