March 14 Groups Launch Plan to Oust Lahoud

The anti-Syria coalition has announced a new plan to topple Emile Lahoud, setting the first anniversary of the historic demonstration of March 14 as a deadline for the pro-Syrian president to step down.
Legislator Saad Hariri, Druze leader Walid Jumblat, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and other anti-Syrian politicians agreed on a strategy to remove Lahoud from office at a previously unannounced meeting they held in Beirut's Bristol Hotel on Thursday.

"The participants have decided to go ahead with a political and popular campaign by asking legislators to immediately sign a parliamentary petition requesting an end to Emile Lahoud's term," said a statement read out by former legislator Fares Souaid.

The anti-Syria alliance said Lahoud was the head of the security regime accused of killing ex-premier Rafik Hariri and considered the extension of his term as unconstitutional because it was imposed by Syria.
 

Therefore, the March 14 groups called on the Lebanese "to launch a popular campaign to implement this democratic, rightful demand" of forcing the president to resign. They set March 14, the first anniversary of the historic anti-Syrian protest of one million people, as the "date for achieving completely the independent national decision."

In the statement, the leaders did not state how the alliance planned to force Lahoud from power. Its leaders do not command two-thirds of the 128 votes in parliament that is required to amend the constitution to shorten the president's term.

Lebanon's leading newspaper, An-Nahar, which supports the anti-Syrian camp, suggested Thursday that the alliance try to win the support of other parliamentary factions to gain the necessary two-thirds.

On Wednesday, Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh revealed that the March 14 coalition commissioned legal experts to prepare a constitutional text that would enable parliament to reduce Lahoud's tenure.

Hamadeh said the anti-Syria alliance would try to bring Gen. Michel Aoun back to the March 14 camp in order to secure the support of the majority of legislators to vote in favor of reducing the pro-Syrian president's term.

On Friday, Speaker Nabih Berri called on leaders from Lebanon's wide political spectrum to participate in a national dialogue starting March 2. He said the talks would focus on the Hariri murder investigation, Lebanese-Syrian relations and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, which calls for the disarmament of all militias in the country.

Syria dominated the country until last April when it was forced to withdraw its troops in the wake of the domestic and international outcry that followed Hariri's assassination on Feb. 14, 2005.

Many Lebanese believe Syria and its Lebanese allies still operate behind the scenes, such as through the mysterious bombings that killed or maimed numerous anti-Syrian politicians and journalists last year. Syria and Lahoud deny any link to the blasts.

At a massive demonstration to mark the first anniversary of Hariri's killing on Tuesday, politicians renewed the call for Lahoud to step down. Jumblat said his ouster was the only way to restore stability and freedom in Lebanon. Saad Hariri, who heads the anti-Syrian majority in parliament, called Lahoud a symbol of Syria's suppression of Lebanon.

Lahoud rejected their calls, saying he would stay in office until the last moment of his mandate, which expires in 2007.

Lahoud was elected president in 1998 for a six-year term. But his mandate was extended in September 2004 when Syria forced the Lebanese parliament to amend the constitution to enable him to stay in power for three more years.

Overturning that amendment has been the goal of the anti-Syrian legislators who took control of parliament in June in the first elections held in 29 years without Syrian forces in the country.(Naharnet-AP)(Outside photo shows the March 14 leaders at the Bristol meeting and inside photo shows the March 14 meeting)




Beirut, Updated 17 Feb 06, 18:57