By NNN-KUNA,
United Nations : Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that four years after the adoption of Security Council resolution 1559, its provisions have yet to be implemented in full.
He cited failure to elect a Lebanese president and to disarm the various militias in the country as the main reasons behind the failure of its implementation.
In a report to the council Monday, Ban said “the prolonged political and security crisis in Lebanon illustrates that the provisions of resolution 1559 (of 2004) remain as relevant now as they were when the resolution was adopted …. Because of the ongoing political crisis in Lebanon, in particular the impasse in electing a president and the deteriorating security situation, the government’s ability to extend its authority over all Lebanese territory has remained restricted”.
The inalbility to elect a president, he argued, constitutes a “step backward” on the road towards the full implementation of 1559.
He urged the Lebanese people and their political leaders to rise to the “unique opportunity to open a new chapter in their difficult history” and elect a president without any conditions and within the constitution.
He said the continued existence of militias and allegations of widespread rearming and paramilitary training across the spectrum “constitutes a challenge for the government of Lebanon’s authority throughout its territory.”
He expressed regret that there has been no discussion among the Lebanese political leaders on a political process leading to the disbanding and disarming of Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, mainly Palestinians, as called for by the Taif agreement and resolution 1559.
He urged renewed political dialogue in Lebanon to affirm the commitment of all parties to the disarmament of militias in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, in fulfilment of resolution 1559.
Hezbollah’s maintenance of a para-military capacity poses a key challenge to the government’s monopoly on the legitimate use of foce, he argued. “The Syrian Arab Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which maintain close ties with the party, bear a significant responsibility in supporting such a process, for the sake of both Lebanon’s and the wider region’s security, stability and welfare,” he said.
Ban added that he remained “deeply concerned” over the activities of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and Fatah Al-Intifada who maintain significant para-military infrastructures outside refugee camps and along the border between Lebanon and Syria.
Since these two Palestinian militias are headquartered in Damascus, he reminded the Syrian government that it “bears a responsibility” in urging these groups to abide by Security Council resolutions and the Lebanese government’s decisions.
The time has come, he said, for a redefinition and formalisation of ties between Lebanon and Syria. The establishment of their full diplomatic relations and the delineation of their shared border, “including in particular in the Shab’a Farms area, would promote the normalisation of relations between two countries and constitute significant steps to secure peace and stability in the region.”
In reference to Israel, he said “I am mindful that Lebanon has remained a battleground for actors seeking to destabilise the region for their own benefit and aspirations of dominance, as manifested tragically during the July/August 2006 war.”
“It is time for the Lebanese people and their political representatives alone to determine the fate of Lebanon,” he stressed.