Middle East

Documents & Texts from America.gov

08 June 2009
Commitment to Democracy Seen in High Lebanese Election Turnout

By Stephen Kaufman
Staff Writer

Washington — Pledging to continue U.S. support for Lebanese sovereignty, President Obama congratulated Lebanon’s people for holding a peaceful parliamentary election that he says demonstrated their courage and their strong commitment to democracy.

In a June 8 statement, Obama said, “The high turnout and the candidates — too many of whom know personally the violence that has marred Lebanon — are the strongest indications yet of the Lebanese desire for security and prosperity.”

The president said a commitment to the principles of peace and moderation “are the best means to secure a sovereign and prosperous Lebanon.”

He said Lebanon’s government, like other democracies, must maintain its power through consent instead of coercion. “You must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party.”

According to press reports, in the June 7 vote, a coalition of Lebanese political parties known as the “March 14” bloc led by Saad al-Hariri and Walid Jumblatt won 71 of the parliament’s 128 seats. The bloc is named for the March 14, 2005, rally against Syria’s military presence in Lebanon. The rally followed the February 14, 2005, assassination of al-Hariri’s father, former Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri.

A separate coalition of Lebanese parties led by the Shiite groups Hezbollah and Amal, as well as Lebanese Christian leader Michel Aoun, won 57 of the 128 seats. This coalition is known as the “March 8” bloc after the March 8, 2005, rally in support of Syria.

At the State Department, spokesman Ian Kelly described the parliamentary vote as a critical step toward the country’s “rightful achievement of true independence and sovereignty.” He commended the “impressive turnout” of Lebanese voters and congratulated the country’s armed forces and police for assuring security during the election.

Kelly said initial reports from international election observers, including the National Democratic Institute and the Carter Center, “indicate that the election was carried out fairly.”

The Obama administration looks forward to working with Lebanon’s next government, he said, and hopes it will be “committed to peace, including full implementation of all United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL SAYS ONLY LEBANESE CAN DECIDE ROLE OF MINORITY

A senior State Department official told reporters June 8 that the Obama administration welcomes the gains by the March 14 coalition, describing the victory as “unambiguous” after Lebanon’s voters had “a clear choice between Hezbollah and its allies and March 14 and the independents running with March 14.”

The official said that it will be up to the Lebanese alone to decide how they will use the elections to form a Cabinet. “Truthfully, we are not advising them. This is a decision that the Lebanese themselves, who have gone through a difficult history, are going to have to make for themselves. We cannot presume to know what is the best Cabinet for Lebanon.”

Lebanon is a parliamentary democracy. Due to its checks and balances system, Hezbollah, Michel Aoun and other minority politicians will continue to play an important role, the official said. As with any democracy, the political opposition will work to get some of its own policies adopted, or “at least have an influence over the majority policies.”

Asked about the May 2008 Doha Agreement that ended a political crisis among Lebanese political parties and allowed the political opposition to veto Cabinet decisions, the official acknowledged that the United States had supported the agreement, but said the opposition had used its veto power “a bit excessively” in the outgoing government. The official said it is up to the Lebanese to decide the role of the political minority, as well as if the Doha agreement is still applicable.

“We understood that the Doha process was designed to get Lebanon out of the situation that … prevailed on the ground as of May 2008,” the official said. “Frankly … Lebanon’s friends, including the United States, have not been terribly impressed by how well the blocking minority veto worked in the outgoing Cabinet. There seemed to be stalemates on many issues that one would think a government would normally be able to decide without much controversy.”

The official affirmed that the United States continues to regard Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, but said the group “has the power to force us to re-evaluate” that position if it becomes “a normal political party.” Hezbollah needs to “lay aside its weapons [and] comply with international resolutions about the disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias,” the official said. Then, “I think we’d be happy to re-consider our position on Hezbollah.”

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