By Wang Jinying and Wang Xin, Xinhua
Beirut : With an M-16 rifle in hand, a vigilant Lebanon soldier is clapping eyes on every car and passerby in Imeel Eidah street in downtown Beirut.
The soldier, in his twenties, is among his colleagues on guard every 10 meters along the street.
Their presence revealed a state of nervousness in Beirut ahead of an uncertain parliamentary session called for Wednesday to elect a president.
The session has been delayed for three times and speculation is growing that it might be again postponed to Friday, the last day of President Emile Lahoud’s term.
Undeclared state of emergency
More than 10,000 troops from Lebanon’s various security forces have been brought into the capital to maintain order while a similar number of rapid-response troops will be on hand for support if needed, which could bring the total number of forces onthe streets to 20,000, local newspaper The Daily Star quoted a security source as saying.
Local residents told Xinhua that armored vehicles rolled into the capital on Saturday night and early Sunday morning, the noise of which disturbed them from their dreams.
But the heightened security hardly brought much ease to local residents who decided to stay at home. Shops and restaurants in Imeel Eidah street which were crowded in the past, only fetched in several guests sporadically.
Anti-Syrian March 14 majority coalition and pro-Syrian opposition have yet to reach a consensus on a presidential candidate, triggering fears that failure in reaching a deal could plunge the country into violence and result in a split with two rival governments standing against one another.
Lawmakers under voluntary “House Arrest”
Residents are not the only ones on alert.
Starting from several blocks away from the mansion of parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri in downtown Beirut, all entrances leading to the house are manned by security forces and soldiers.
All vehicles attempting to approach the mansion will have to endure at lease three inspections and endless waiting.
Xinhua correspondents were at last declined to enter the fortified “fortress” to cover a meeting between Hariri and visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday after undergoing all these rigorous checks.
Apart from Hariri, other lawmakers backing the March 14 ruling coalition have also heightened vigilance.
Since pro-Syrian lawmaker Antoine Ghanem was assassinated in a car bombing on Sept. 19, about 40 legislators have been living in the five-star Phoenicia hotel on Beirut’s seaside to avoid a similar fate before casting their votes to elect the country’s next president.
Ghanem was the fourth member of the present parliament to be assassinated since the killing of former prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri in 2005.
The term of incumbent President Emile Lahoud will expire on Nov.24, however the talks between rival parties bogged down on the candidate to succeed President Lahoud.
According to the country’s power-sharing system, Lebanon’s president must be a Maronite Christian and is elected by parliament rather than by popular vote.
The ruling coalition led by Hariri enjoyed a small majority in the 128-seat parliament by 68 seats against the opposition’s 59. However, the assassinations targeting the lawmakers from the pro-government political bloc further dwindled the slight dominance.
Hariri accused Syria of being behind the assassinations, which was denied by Damascus.
A two-thirds majority is required for a candidate to be elected by parliament in a first round of voting. In the event of a second round, an absolute majority suffices.