Miqati Rejects Unilateralism but Warns De Facto Cabinet Doesn't Salvage Lebanon

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Tuesday rejected a one-party rule in Lebanon and hinted that there should be an all-embracing government that does not give veto power to any party.

“Not a single party can rule alone even if it was the majority,” Miqati said during a ceremony held at the Grand Serail.

He rejected the formation of a de facto government but stressed that granting veto power to a certain party would also paralyze the country.

“Neither a fait accompli would (help) Lebanon overcome the dangers nor obstruction would manage the country amid the cyclones” in the region.

“Neither a sectarian law would produce a patriotic parliament that could legislate national issues, nor a law based on the winner-takes-all system that abolishes a faction of Lebanese can establish national unity,” he said.

Miqati warned that Lebanon would loose its political stability if there were changes in the balance created by national consensus.

“The chance for national consensus that we gave through my resignation will be lost over the calculations” made by the different factions, he said.

Miqati resigned in March over differences between cabinet members on several issues. PM-designate Tammam Salam however has so far failed to come up with a cabinet line-up due to the conflicting demands made by the different factions and mainly the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance that has asked for veto power.

The differences between the March 8 and 14 alliances have also spilled over into an electoral draft-law which would replace the 1960 law that is based on the winner-takes-all system.

Also Tuesday, Miqati met with the U.N. peacekeeping chief, who visited the Grand Serail along with U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly and UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Paolo Serra.

The U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous denied following his talks with the caretaker premier that the countries providing troops to UNIFIL were mulling the withdrawal of their troops.

“I can't imagine that any of the countries that actively contribute soldiers to UNIFIL, mainly the European Union, would think about changing their stances,” he said.

“On the contrary … the preservation of Lebanon's stability is essential and caretaker PM Miqati confirmed to me his full commitment to cooperate with the U.N.,” Ladsous said.

His comments came against the backdrop of reports that the EU warned Miqati that it would withdraw its peacekeeping troops deployed along the border with Israel if their security cannot be guaranteed.

But sources close to Miqati and the EU mission in Lebanon denied the reports.

“EU Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst didn't relay a warning backed by the U.S. that it would withdraw its troops over Lebanon's slackness in preventing abduction of UNIFIL members,” said a statement issued by the EU mission in Lebanon.

“Any quote attributed to Eichhorst in this regard is erroneous,” it said.

Sources close to Miqati also denied that his meeting with Eichhorst last Wednesday tackled the matter.

“No change has occurred to the UNIFIL deployment in south Lebanon,” the sources said.

“Some of the reports that dealt with UNIFIL's future are not true,” Ladsous said Tuesday. “There is a perfect coordination with the Lebanese government and the Lebanese Armed Forces.”

Ladsous also met with President Michel Suleiman.

“His strong support for UNIFIL and commitment to the implementation of resolution 1701 has been evident, among other things, by the fact that he was the first Lebanese head of state to visit UNIFIL,” he said.

“I assured the president of our complete support and engagement at every level, whether in UNIFIL or at the U.N. headquarters, to bolster the efforts of the Lebanese leadership to safeguard Lebanon from the negative impact of regional developments,” Ladsous added.