In just seven minutes, Lebanon’s members of parliament ended the presidential vacuum that had paralyzed the country for the past half year, and made a major step toward resolving the broader crisis that has ensued for more than 18 months.  Those seven minutes were how long it took Lebanon’s political leaders to cast their ballots, in Lebanon’s parliament building, electing Army Commander General Michel Sleiman as Lebanon’s 12th post-independence president. Nineteen previous attempts to convene a parliamentary session had been postponed since September 2007, due to a failure to reach a quorum.

In the end, Michel Sleiman received 118 out of the 127 votes cast.  Former MP Nassib Lahoud and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Obeid each won a single vote, and another vote was cast for “[assassinated former Prime Minister] Rafik Hariri and the martyred MPs.”  Six blank ballots were also submitted.

A smooth election, with moments of drama

Though the outcome of the vote had already been determined by the Doha Agreement, the parliamentary session was not without its share of drama.  March 14 political leaders, as well as former Speaker Hussein al-Husseini, addressed parliament prior to Sleiman’s election to criticize the constitutional procedure that would bring the army chief to the presidency.  The Lebanese constitution expressly forbids any first-degree civil servant, such as the commander of the armed forces, from ascending to the presidency unless they have resigned from their post at least two years before the election.  Instead of issuing a “one time” constitutional amendment that would annul this requirement, as has been done several times in the past, Lebanon’s parliament opted to simply ignore this obstacle and proceed with Sleiman’s election regardless.

Fares Soueid, General Secretary of the March 14 Secretariat, explained these pre-election protestations to NOW Lebanon. “The remarks put forth by the Lebanese Forces and other personalities are for preventing any repetition of this phenomenon and to preserve the election of Michel Sleiman.”

Minister of Social Affairs Nayla Mouawad, MP Boutros Harb, and MP George Adwan were the pro-government leaders who voiced their objection to this procedure.  MP Harb referred to today’s events as “a political compromise at the expense of the constitution.”

Speaker Nabih Berri tersely responded by saying the election was fully constitutional, and moved on to the voting process.  Following the vote, Berri left parliament briefly to accompany the newly-minted President Sleiman back to the Place de l’Etoile to receive a red-carpet welcome from the assorted dignitaries, politicians and members of the press.

Sleiman then gave his inaugural address to the Lebanese Parliament.  In a speech that will serve as the first indicator of his new Administration, he called for a reactivation of Lebanon’s national institutions and a de-escalation of the political rhetoric between Lebanon’s rival political factions.  He declared Lebanon’s commitment and respect for all relevant UN resolutions, and rejected the use of militia’s weapons internally.  He also declared the need to create a national defense strategy that capitalized on the experience of the resistance, meaning Hezbollah, to protect Lebanon from Israeli aggression.  “We paid a high price for our national unity, so let us preserve it hand in hand, for God unites us,” Sleiman said in conclusion. May 25 coincided with the eight-year anniversary of South Lebanon’s liberation from Israeli forces, a fact noted in both Sleiman and Berri’s speeches.

Lebanon celebrates, but challenges remain

International representatives from Europe, America, and the Arab world attended the parliamentary session to express their support.  Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who spearheaded the mediation efforts which resulted in the Doha Agreement, delivered a speech in parliament following the President Sleiman’s speech.  Among the foreign dignitaries present were Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, European Union foreign policy representative Javier Solana, and a Congressional delegation from the United States.

All roads leading to downtown were cordoned off, and the entire area was guarded with heavy security.  Hundreds of journalists attended the session – up to 800, according to one security source – and were ushered into a separate parliamentary office to watch the election from large screens. 

Habib Battah, former editor of the Middle East Broadcasters Journal, described the atmosphere as “electric,” and noted that journalists were ecstatic that “there is a real hope in the air for a new beginning for this country… There have been so many terrible moments of breaking news, and this is one of the first news items out of Lebanon in a long time that appears to be positive.”

Photojournalist Moussa Husseini contrasted the day with the tragic events of earlier this month, when journalists “were taking pictures of burning tires and closed roads, fire, and all out fighting.”  Today, he said, it was a radically different mood.

Indeed, an atmosphere of jubilation resonated around the nation, and many Lebanese celebrated the occasion with fireworks and celebratory gunfire that continued well into the night.  Despite the army’s plea that citizens refrain from firing their weapons into the air, at least five people were injured by falling bullets in Sleiman’s hometown of Amchit following the announcement of his election.

Nevertheless, both pro-government and opposition leaders expressed hope that Sleiman’s election will allow the country to turn over a new leaf.  FPM official Alain Aoun, outside the parliament building following the election, told NOW Lebanon that today is the beginning of a new era, and that there is still a lot to be done. “Now we have to restart with new priorities for the next period... to start a project of reforms, and of modernizing Lebanon to ensure the country’s stability,” he said.

Sunday’s election does symbolize a moment in history, particularly as Sleiman is Lebanon’s first president to be elected in the post-Syrian era. However, it is also yet-another moment where the Lebanese have chosen to move forward without necessarily resolving issues of the past. Several pending issues – such as the vital matter of Hezbollah’s arms – must be addressed under Sleiman’s presidency.  And as a new government takes shape, it is still unclear how these issues will be resolved.

 As Battah concludes, “I hope that this is not another moment in Lebanese history where the amount of excitement about the future masks the dangers of the unresolved past.”