Aound does it again! After a late-night meeting with Saad Hariri in Rabieh, Aoun announced that neither Aoun nor the FPM will be taking part in this newly upcoming government. Why? Again, the issue is a seat; just like the issue during the election bazar was over seats (or was it not?...) The seat this time around is the Justice Ministry portfolio; either this portfolio goes to the FPM or FPM will not take part. MP Hariri amicably relayed to Aoun that the Future Movement would like to take this portfolio under its wing...due to apparent circumstances dealing with the late Hariri's death investigation. In fact, the Future Movement in principle has the right to pick and choose portfolios, them forming a majority in Parliament..but it seemed that the focus was geared towards involving everyone.
Alas, FPM jeopardizes this chance! Why this political maneuver, Aoun? Why peg your movement's and FPM's allies participation in government to a single portfolio? Is it that without the Justice Ministry portfolio FPM's reformist program will not move forward? Why reduce all FPM's reformist program and all last week's positive talk of the 95% of agreement on views to a single seat in the government?
On another hand, Siniora is not giving anyone a clue as to when the government will come into fruition. I join my voice with Ghassan Tueni hoping that the very important Foreign Ministry portfolio would not be given away...Al-Nahar points out to rumors spreading that Yassin Jaber might take over the Ministry after Mahmood Hammoud...which moves us nowhere closer to where we aspire to go in terms of shaping our foreign policy (and shall we say for the first time?...)
I haven't watched the news, just read newspaper headlines. More thoughts will be upcoming.
"Nobody knows how many rebellions, besides political rebellions, ferment in the masses of life which people earth."
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18 comments:
Doha,
Now, I believe that he never wanted to be a part of the government. The ministry of justice demand is the smart way of achieving that, knowing that it is the most sensitive one to the Hariris. One does not need the justice ministry to open up corruption files. If one has information on an issue, he can reveal them and let them be considered as "ikhbar" prompting the "al niabeh el 3ammeh el tammiyizieh" to act, especially when it comes from a bloc of 21 MP's.
This guy has a mentality of "I want to do it my way, even if it is similar to your way, move away, and let it be MY WAY". A sick ego.
Yet his followers argue blindly with a mantra : "General is right, has always been, and will always be..."
Go figure
Cheers
On another note, I feel that Najib Mikati could be one of the best candidates for the foreign ministry, if the shi'a releases it.
Cheers
TM,
You are technically right on judges. However I believe, but they can be pressured by the ministry (viz. appointments. I think if they don't like a judge, they can reassign him/her to a crappy position in a remote location).
Foreign affairs to HA? They de facto have defense and the south, give them foreign affairs and they ARE the state. Maybe then, we can fire the army, and the diplomatic corps and save ourselves a lot of money.
TM,
The other thing about the Justice ministry being necessary for Hariri's investigation holds as little water as it being necessary for the opening of corruption files. Judges do not report to the Ministry.
True, but then why Michel Aoun and Salim Aoun (MP of Zahleh) said that without it they're out? On the other hand, Ibrahim Kanaan said it's not that crucial. This is quite misleading, hence my comment.
Regarding the "My way/your way", may be I went a bit too far, but I think all of the Bristol parties were quite cooperative from day one, and it was quite an impressive achievement to see that they were able to sit down together, coming from different backgrounds, differ on some issues, agree on others, build on what they agree on, and then move forward.
This kind of partnership that in my opinion people liked, and felt safe with. The longer it dragged, the more it capitalized on national unity, which by the way was quite fruitful, until a bowling ball hit the alley...
Cheers
Doha,
Admit it, you just like to pick on Aoun's follies!
You don't mind Jumblat's or Hariri's or any one else's mishaps, but you just love to pick on Aoun's don't you?
I mean we all do sometimes but you just love it!
:-)
If the Justice ministry is so important for the Hariri investigation, then why not offer it to FPM when the investigation is done?
And Aoun needs the Justice to complete corruption reforms, since if corruption charges are not enforced, nothing gets done.
doha, sometimes your "reactions" as you call them, sound slightly immature, which is surprising considering the bulk of your usual posts. Aoun won my respect in the last few weeks, particularly after proving he does have real on-the-ground legitimacy (through the massive vote) and then with his adapting to the conciliatory move by hariri. when they started discussing the ministries "seats" as you call them, he was very clear that he wasn't looking after the more "popular" ministries, but asked for the justice ministry b/c of his need for a proper reform platform to prove he means business. a fair request if ever there was one. this has been on the cards for over a week now, and at no point did hariri or saniora say they were against the justice ministry going to the FPM.
it is only in the last 48 hours, as jumblatt's personal vendetta against aoun began to resonate with his own and others' worry about their own past deeds, that hariri came out and literally said "we were advised" against giving the justice m to aoun. advised? by who? the hariri investigation is just an excuse that doesnt stand up b/c it is in the hands of the international commission not the JM.
at least both hariri, saniora and aoun are all still talking to each other in very positive terms in spite of this drawback (saniora reportedly declared today that he told aoun to consider him his "personal representative in the cabinet to apply the reform"!!??)
it seems aoun is surrounding himself with better and better "advisors" while hariri is, again, losing face thanks to jumblatt's wicked advice.
you should diversify your news sources. try http://www.journaladdiyar.com/ for example.
Addiyar front page: Aoun will not attend the hearing today as he became an MP.
and justice be done,
أسرار
فيصل سلمان
هل يطلب النائب ميشال عون من اللبنانيين أن يصدقوه حين يقول لهم إن اتفاقه مع سعد الحريري فرط لأنه لم يحصل على حقيبة وزارة العدل؟
وهل يريد من اللبنانيين أن ينسوا ما سمعوه منه شخصياً حول عدم تمسكه بأي حقيبة، سيادية كانت أو غير سيادية؟
وهل يأمرهم بأن يتغاضوا عما أعلنه من توافق بين برنامجه وبرنامج تيار المستقبل بنسبة 95% أما الخمسة في المئة الباقية فيمكن ان نزيدهم على برنامجنا من عنده أو يزيدهم هو على برنامجه من عندنا؟
منذ اليوم الأول للمفاوضات وافق عون على التخلي عن حليفه إيلي سكاف واستبداله بميشال سكاف، كما وافق على عدم تمثيل حزب الطاشناق شرط توزير أحد المقربين من الحزب.
قال إن نسبة كتلته النيابية إلى مجموع أعضاء المجلس النيابي هي السدس، وبالتالي يحق له ان يتمثل مع حلفائه بأربعة وزراء، فكان له ذلك.
وقال وتحدث كثيراً عن البرامج مؤكداً ان الحقيبة الوزارية لا تصنع رجالاً بل العكس هو الصحيح، فقيل له، معك حق.
زاره الحريري مرة ثم مرة ثانية في منزله متحملاً المخاطر الأمنية ووقف عند خاطره.. ولكن وزارة العدل باتت أهم من البرنامج؟ لماذا؟
لأن بعض حلفاء الحريري صرحوا بمواقف اعتبرها الجنرال حملة سياسية ضده.
إلى ان يحين الوقت المناسب لتكشف جميع الأسرار، يستحسن أن يتذكر اللبنانيون كم ظُلمت قرنة شهوان وبأي خنجر طُعنت.
لكن لماذا عقدت تلك الخلوة بين عون والرئيس إميل لحود، ومَن مِن الوزراء السابقين استقبل عون في منزله ليلاً قبل أيام؟
لا أسرار في البلد
.
You're missing the point. This is Jumblat's game once again. The single most negative figure in the country right now. I'll be posting on this soon.
The funny part is just like Jumblat duped you in the elections that this was Aoun's intransigence, he's doing it again now that it's a matter of portfolio. Wrong the first time, wrong again.
Doha,
The reason I said you like to pick on Aoun is that for as long as I could remember, it always seemed to me that Aoun was the target of most of your picking (often rightfully) however I didn't remember you picking on the others half as much. (Which is OK, I'm just observing)
So i checked the back log to see if my memory is playing tricks on me!
I found this, this, this and this.
I donnow maybe cause he is more unpredictable, he pisses you off more than the rest :-)
Just so you know.
P.
Also Joseywales and thinkingman , since I "cought" you here , can I have you comments on this ?
Specifically it seem to me in hindsight that M. was mostly right about the election and splitting of the opposition. But more importantly "the end results of the movement will shock them, disgust them and make many of them doubt the idealism of youth which now moves so many of them" was almost prophetic!
What M. said turned out more than "half-true" and I feel it was not as "narrow minded analysis" as you guys thought, or am I wrong?
Also Raja if you are reading, please show me how wrong I am as you often do, the last thing we need is for pessimists to be right :-)
P.
If Doha didn't want Aoun to be in the government in the first place, why would she care about him withdrawing (whatever the reasons)?
As for (over?)scrutinizing Aoun and his political maneuvers, I see it as a natural consequence of two things:
1. He is the only new major player in the Lebanese political landscape. Therefore, what he does is new and consequently more "news"worthy.
2. Both him and the FPM have raised all of our expectations with regards to Lebanon's future (even (and maybe, especially) among those of us who have critiqued Aoun's politics).
Personally, I cannot speculate about what happened behind the scenes during the negotiations between FPM and Future. However, the message from FPM itself is clear. As of today, more than one member of FPM has come out to say that the Justice portfolio really was the major (if not sole) point of contention between the two parties.
If the reason for refusing to join a government of change and reform was the justice portfolio, then I cannot but state my disappointment, as I am sure most people would at the reason declared by the FPM. Reform does not come through the Justice Ministry. Reform happens when corrupt ministries like those handling Energy, Agriculture, Transportation, Security and others are cleansed from elements of corruption and converted into entities meant to serve the citizen, rather than the other way around.
Unfortunately though, it appears that all parties involved had other considerations in mind.
Now that's just plain unfortunate for all of us! Especially since the dreadfull thought of seeing someone like Nayla Mouawad handling a ministry portfolio rather than a more competent FPMer has all of a sudden become a very likely prospect!
Raja thanks for your timely response ... I don't really have a problem with critizising Aoun, I guess as you said it's ultimately the FPM's fault for raising most people's hopes too much in him ...
Incidently, I read in annahar today Ghattas Khoury saying it was not an issue of seats (Khoury hasn't been defending any of Aoun's other craziness so I tended to beleive him here)
But I was specifically asking for your comments on your friend M.'s pessimistic views ending up being mostly correct, while a couple of monthes ago everyone seemed to be dismissing them as rather narrow minded.
When I re-read them today, it seemed M. was much more knowledgable of the situation than most of the people in the blogosphere (or on the daily news).
P.
Doha,
I am sorry if I offended you in any way. I didn't mean for any of this to be taken that seriously. In fact when I read the first comment I made it was more in teasing tone but somehow it all went out of control later on!
Of course it's your own blog and you have the right to say whatever you want. Hell I'll be pissed at you if you let some anonymous coward which doesn't even have the decency to put a name in his posts to affect what you can say and who you can or cannot blame!
If can can offer a piece of advice, it not to put high hopes in anyone no matter how much hope that gives. You'll see that even with all his follies Aoun will disapoint you much less :-)
So there, mea culpa, I'm sorry and it won't happen again (i guess).
P, the 5:01 anonymous.
Ok P, you ask about M.
Wow that was too long ago, in April 05!
As I recall, I just said disappointment is par for the course at big junctures like March 14. Such big events/times are bound to put you on a high, difficult to perpetuate. That is obvious, I think.
No one is surprised that this is not Nirvana yet, or ever. But M. seemed to be saying "it's not gonna be perfect so don't get excited over Syria's withdrawal, of let's not pressure them too much to leave".
It's that aspect that I sort of objected to. We can agree,I hope, that the withdrawal was necessary (but not sufficient) for improvement in Lebanon.
I guess even if nothing else happens that enough is something to be happy about :-)
P.
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