The March 14 blocs (or shall we say, February 14) shook things up yesterday when they revived the role of the Parliament and voted on two legislations, garnering some votes from even outside their blocs. I believe that the majority should have resorted to the role of the Parliament early on; not only is the Parliament a "transparent" institution, but it also takes us away from simple fiery speeches and "media wars" to real action.
That aside, building on this victory, all of the March 14 forces met yesterday evening in the Bristol Hotel. However, and the Al-Nahar daily pointed it out, the statement ensuing from the gathering fell short of what is aspired by the people; it did not spell out any strategy for moving forward from here...it simply stated that the players within the gathering have discussed specific decisions which will be translated and implemented in the national dialogue meetings, in Parliament and the Cabinet, and on the popular level.
So...now these decisions are a secret? I was just talking about how the Lebanese are "thirsty' for transparency. Long gone the days when the Bristol gatherings spelled out the next moves and got everyone mobilized and prepared...
Moreover, what surprised me the most was when the statement read that the government's initiatives and papers (perhaps alluding to the economic reform paper) used by many factions as a political tool is not but a compilation of general ideas up for negotiations. (afkar awwaliyya 'amma matrooha lil niqash). Really?! All these important meetings taking place in the Cabinet to discuss strategies to solve the electricity, energy, economy, and other issues are just general ideas?
I believe that criticism comes when you care and my criticism of the Bristol gathering statement comes as a result of anticipating concrete and tangible steps that would get us out of the political rut that Lebanon is in right now, of reviving the role that the Bristol gathering played at one point not long ago.
We are so close to May 10, a day of large street movements organized by labor unions and sponsored now by all the pro-Syrian parties. What does the Bristol gathering have planned for that day, we are yet to learn...
"Nobody knows how many rebellions, besides political rebellions, ferment in the masses of life which people earth."
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