ANALYSIS-Lebanon’s Hizbollah to put brakes on disarmament
By Ibon Villelabeitia
BEIRUT, July 20 (Reuters) – Hizbollah’s entry into Lebanon’s first
government since Syrian forces withdrew complicates U.N. demands for
the entrenched Shi’ite Muslim guerrilla group, branded a terrorist
group by Washington, to disarm.
Ending weeks of wrangling over key posts, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora
on Tuesday announced a 24-member cabinet dominated by an anti-Syria
coalition which swept last month’s elections.
It is the first time since the 1975-1990 civil war that Lebanon has
had a government not closely aligned with Damascus.
It is also the first time a Beirut government contains a member of
Hizbollah, respected by many Lebanese for its struggle against an
Israeli occupation of the south that ended in 2000.
Hizbollah was offered the energy and water ministry after winning 14
seats in the 128-member Parliament.
The foreign ministry, which will handle U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1559 that calls for the group’s disarmament, went to Fawzi
Salloukh, a diplomat whose appointment was proposed by Hizbollah as
part of a compromise to end a deadlock.
“Hizbollah is going to put the brakes on anything the cabinet does
that goes against its interests,” said Sami Baroudi, a political
science professor at the American University of Beirut.
“Hizbollah wants to make the decisions and decide when, if the time
ever comes, to surrender its weapons,” Baroudi said.
“Disarming Hizbollah is going to be a headache and their refusal will
affect reconstruction and international aid,” said Michael Young,
an editor for the Daily Star, adding Hizbollah was “using the state
as a sandbag against disarmament.”
Shortly after the announcement, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli
said Washington would have no dealings with Hizbollah’s Mohammed
Fneish, the energy and water minister.
The new cabinet, which has 15 members loyal to parliament’s majority
coalition leader Saad al-Hariri and five supporters of a pro-Syria
Shi’ite bloc that includes Hizbollah, also faces the difficult task
of pushing reform and tackling a huge $36 billion public debt.
But whether it will be able to pilot sensitive measures through
Lebanon’s precarious political system and sectarian loyalties remains
an open question, analysts said.
LONG SHADOW OF DAMASCUS
Reflecting Lebanon’s diversity, the cabinet has Sunni, Shi’ite and
Druze Muslims, Christian Maronites, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic,
Protestants and Armenians.
“This cabinet is not a team. It is an assortment of political figures
with no ideological affinity other than the fact that most of them
come from the opposition,” Baroudi said.
“Everybody in Lebanon agrees on the need for reform but when it
comes to the details nobody wants to sacrifice. Lebanon likes to
procrastinate on reform.”
Another pressing issue for the new cabinet will be reshaping its ties
with Syria, the long-time power-broker in Lebanon.
Following the Feb. 14 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik
al-Hariri, father of Saad al-Hariri, Syria ended its 29-year military
presence in Lebanon under intense Lebanese and international pressure.
Relations between Beirut and Damascus have become increasingly
strained, and Siniora has said he plans to visit Damascus once the
government is sworn in.
In what foes of Damascus see as an attempt to strangle the Lebanese
economy, Sryria has increased inspections on commercial traffic coming
from Lebanon, leaving hundreds of trucks stranded at the border and
inflicting big losses on farmers.
“Redefining Lebanon’s ties with Syria is not going to be an easy
process,” said Nizar Hamzeh, a political analyst.
“This government has inherited two major fires: U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1559 and the issue of Syria. It will need a lot of energy
to put out those two fires.”
The new government also needs to establish security, now that Syrian
troops are gone. Parliament’s decision to pardon a Christian former
warlord sparked fighting between Christian and Muslim gunmen along
Beirut’s old civil war frontline on Monday.
07/20/05 16:50 ET
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress