By IINA,
Doha : Rival Lebanese leaders have reached agreement on steps to end the political deadlock that has led to the worst violence since the 1975-90 civil war. The agreement brokered by Arab states covers the formation of a new national unity government and electoral reforms. It paves the way for parliament to elect a new president, a position that has been empty since last November. Correspondents say the deal is a major triumph for the opposition Hezbollah, whose key demands were met, BBC reported. In a speech at the ceremony in the Qatari capital Doha to sign the agreement, Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said it was an exceptional agreement for an exceptional time. Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh said there were “no losers” under the deal.
Amr Moussa, head of the Arab League, which brokered the agreement, said it “releases Lebanon from its shackles”. The deal gives the Hezbollah-led opposition bloc enough seats in the cabinet for a veto. It also provides for changes to the electoral law, which could prove decisive in next year’s parliamentary elections. The controversial issue of Hezbollah’s sizeable arsenal – part of which was used in a brief take-over parts of west Beirut earlier in May – has also been addressed.
MP Marwan Hamadeh said the “agreement forbids internal use of weapons… and calls for dialogue… on the whole subject of arms”. Hezbollah has been refusing to give up any of its military capability, arguing that it is essential in the struggle against Lebanon’s southern neighbor, Israel. The agreement also paves the way for parliament to elect the army chief, General Michel Suleiman, as president. For months, Gen Suleiman has been accepted by all sides as the only candidate to succeed outgoing pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, but political disagreements have repeatedly prevented a parliamentary vote to appoint him. Opposition MP Ali Hasan Khalil said he expected the presidential vote to happen later this week.
An opposition protest camp in central Beirut is also to be dismantled, in what Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called a “gift” from the opposition. Reports from the AFP suggest that Hezbollah members have already started to dismantle it. BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the Doha deal appears to have averted calamity by acknowledging a greater political role for Hezbollah. He adds that some in the West, while applauding Lebanon’s step back from the brink, may see this as a negative development. Lebanon has been in political crisis since late 2006 when the opposition left a national unity coalition cabinet, demanding more power and a veto over government decisions.
The crisis turned violent two weeks ago when street battles between armed supporters of the factions left at least 65 people dead. The clashes were triggered by government attempts to outlaw Hezbollah’s private telephone network and reassign Beirut airport’s security chief, who is close to the opposition.