iloubnan.info : How do you interpret the assassination of Antoine Ghanem on the 19th of September and the series of attacks that is terrorizing Lebanon and its political community?
Salah Honein: (His voice filled with emotion, he answers). To start, I send out an extremely moved and loving thought for the man who was not only my colleague in the Parliament but also my friend: Antoine Ghanem was very correct and honest, he paid for his commitment to his country with his life and it is very sad. This new crime falls in the framework of the unavoidable consequences of the fight for independence. This independence movement has been at work since 2000 and is the reason behind my alliance with Walid Joumblatt during the legislatives that took place on the same year. Since 2004, events have picked up the pace. My analysis is that this series of attacks aims at slowing down or even hindering independence in order to keep Lebanon in the bosom of Syria. I have the impression that Syria cannot conceive that Lebanon could become politically liberated and, in my opinion, its reading of the situation is very erroneous. The circumstances that had pushed the international community to allow its seizure on Lebanon have changed. Not only did Syria block any progress in Lebanon and tyrannize the country but it also supported the emergence of subversive and terrorist movements which has become unacceptable in the after September 11 world. The Lebanese people do not have another choice: they have to persevere in this direction knowing that all the fights for independence in the world cost human lives. In spite of this dreadful machine of war that is released among innocent people, it is vital that they hang on.
How can we exit the cycle of violence associated to all these political developments? And what should be our expectations from the international court (pertaining to the trial of the assassins of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and other political figures)?
The court will be set up and functional soon, I have no doubt that it will. If all the local and international efforts deployed for its establishment and good functioning prove insufficient in ending this horrifying period, then I can hardly envision what would. The process is engaged and will succeed.
What do you think of the reactions of the Opposition after these attacks?
I am still puzzling over these reactions: the Opposition should not be so adamant to replace assassinated MPs with its own candidates. It only encourages this machine of war, nothing more.
How do you apprehend the presidential election?
I am completely convinced that it will take place, there is no conceivable alternative. This is why all the politicians should put their heart and mind at finding a solution. They are the ones who led us to war thirty years ago and we refuse they do the same today. If they cannot abide by the Constitution, then they should agree on a consensual candidate.
How do you perceive the debate over “quorum” that has been dividing the Lebanese political scene for quite some time now?
This dispute has been resolved a long time ago in my opinion. It is a false debate. The text of the Constitution is clear, quorum means the majority (half plus one) and not only in the last ten days. Article 34 defines quorum as such. When there is need for a different form of quorum, it is clearly stated in the text as is the case in article 79 which mentions the conditions required for amending the Constitution and where it is clear that the quorum is reached by the two thirds and the vote too. On the other hand, article 49 does not mention the quorum; it says quite simply that in order to be elected president as of the first turn, a candidate must obtain two thirds of the votes. Condition of quorum and condition of vote are two different concepts.
Who can resolve the disputes over the interpretation of the Constitution?
When the constitutional Council is not able to do it, then the Parliament is to interpret the Constitution. However, today, the Parliament is paralyzed. The majority committed a very serious miscalculation by not allowing the constitutional Council to decide on the matter of the options that general Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement has put forward after the legislatives and by maintaining blurredness around ten to eleven parliamentarian seats. The Opposition, on the other hand, misinterprets the Constitution, and when they are reminded that it is up to the Parliament to decide on these matters, they call upon the question mark that is hanging over a number of parliamentarian seats; there from the impasse. I believe that the political community, as a whole, has no respect for the Constitution, the constitutional Council or the rules of democracy. Within the current conditions, a consensus should be reached in order to circumvent chaos and step out of this impasse.
According to you, which characteristics should a president of the Republic be endowed with when taking office in such a delicate period?
If I were to retain only one quality, it would be this one: he should be a “unifier”. Furthermore, we need a wise, hard-working candidate of unquestionable courage; a man with a clear vision. The ideal candidate should be of an exemplary civility, capable of looking other people in the eye and communicating with them. Somebody who portrays a strong persona and who is keen on applying the Constitution and the Taëf agreement as well as the international resolutions which in fact only reiterate the provisions of the first two texts.
Do you identify any eligible candidates on the Lebanese political scene today?
Without revealing names, I am sure there are suitable candidates. But such people would definitely not be affiliated to any of the two conflicting camps and should not be confined in any trench. A candidate answering this description would not be welcome in either camp. I believe that this person should have been in that square on that legendary day: the 14th of March (date of the massive 2005 anti-Syrian demonstration), but hasn’t spoken on the platform along with other political figures. I consider that this platform was dissociated from the square; it shattered the ambitions of the young demonstrators. I think that in order to get round the dichotomy between March 8 and March 14, the Constitution should be applied accurately, without violation. The Constitution is the compass of the nation.
How do you foresee the future of Lebanon?
I firmly believe that the future will be as we will build it. Lebanese people have extraordinary capacities; they are highly productive but are poorly ruled by politicians who are unable to manage their present, past and future. After all, the Lebanese people have launched the economies of the neighboring countries, yet they find that they are not allowed to establish their own. The future is a prospect that is well thought of and worked for with both seriousness and eagerness, but in order to succeed, it is also necessary to have the necessary tools on hand. Thus, it is crucial to elect a president of great qualities, to vote an equitable electoral law and to form a productive government. It is necessary to work relentlessly at all levels: be it the ecology, the economy, or the financial aspect of this future amongst others: everything needs to be done all over again, everything needs to be improved so that the Lebanese Diaspora feels proud and concerned. In brief and quite simply, it is vital that we “build a Nation”. However, nations are not built with archaic and conventional mentalities in the shade of feudalisms under all its forms.
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