March 14 coalition conference generates mixed reactions

By Malek Mohammed Misbah in Beirut
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-03-16

[RAMZI HAIDAR/AFP/Getty Images] Former Prime Minister and leader of the Future bloc Fouad Siniora attended the March 14 conference.

Reactions were mixed after the March 14 coalition held its conference in Le Bristol Hotel on Sunday (March 14th).

Groups in the coalition, which returned again to Le Bristol Hotel, launched a political initiative titled "protecting Lebanon is a national, Arab and international responsibility". The groups also stressed their openness and a policy of the outstretched hand.

An estimated 220 political, intellectual and partisan figures attended the meeting including former Prime Minister and leader of the Future bloc Fouad Siniora and the Lebanese Forces party leader Samir Geagea. However, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri did not attend because he made a trip to Germany. Amin Gemayel, head of the Kataeb Party, sent his first deputy.

Walid Jumblatt, leader of the Socialist Progressive Party, did not attend after announcing his departure from the coalition in August 2009.

The conference concluded with a seven-point action plan. The participants also called on the Lebanese parties to "discuss, crystallize and develop" this plan.

But the absence of the main leaders from the meeting fueled the notion that the March 14 coalition is weakened, especially after Gemayel said in a televised interview that he would have preferred to take an "emotional stand" rather than a hold a meeting "where photos are snapped".

Lebanese writer Hazem al-Amin said that "the statement made after the conference showed a lack of harmony by adopting the official position of the Lebanese government while at the same time holding on to slogans of the past."

"Consequently, there is a persistence that indicates a state of confusion," he said, adding that the main function of this grouping "no longer exists following the regional and international settlements that took place at the expense of this structure."

Al-Amin added: "The March 14 coalition achieved several things, but they are threatened not because these groups are weak, but because the regional atmosphere is not suitable to protect these achievements."

"March 14's function was not only the achievement of some of their slogans. If the Syrian withdrawal, for example, was not fortified by a political climate that creates immunity against the return of Syria through other non-military routes, then this achievement is under threat. The same thing applies to the special tribunal [the assassination of Rafik al-Hariri]. If a Lebanese government is not able to honour its pledges towards the tribunal, then this achievement is also under threat."

Commenting on the head of the Democratic Gathering Walid Jumblatt's going back on his positions against Syria after leaving the March 14 coalition, Al-Amin said, "It is clear that Jumblatt did not give everything the Syrians wanted. But at the same time, the language he used reflected a great deal of surrender to what is wanted of him."

On Saturday, Jumblatt, who is reportedly seeking a visit to Syria, gave an interview to Al Jazeera in which he regretted insulting the Syrian president in a previous speech. The speech received mixed reactions as some said it did not go far enough in apologising.

"To say that he did not apologise and did not agree to Hizbollah's retention of its arms are matters that might raise the ire of the Syrians. This is true. But it is also true that he made an apology to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in language that gives in to the Syrians demand for an apology," Al-Amin said.

Al-Amin said Jumblatt's supporters do not try to find excuses for Jumblatt's reversal because it is not a "principal matter. Jumblatt remains one of main pillars of the Druze sect and maybe the only one."

Lebanese University academic Dr Ahmed Zineddine told Al-Shorfa that "I think an entity called March 14 no longer exists."

Zineddine added: "The main groups have in effect seceded from the 14 March coalition." "These include the Socialist Progressive Party and Walid Jumblatt and the Lebanese Kataeb Party, which participates theoretically but has got many reservations and is keeping a distance. Eventually, only the Lebanese Forces party and some of the low-weight allies remained in the coalition."

Zineddine said that the Future movement is "facing a dilemma because it cannot split from its allies in the March 14 coalition due to the joint struggle they have waged since 2005. At the same time it cannot keep pace with the March 14 coalition in taking any steps that might influence its openness towards the other side, especially Hizbullah. Its head is Saad al-Hariri who is the head of the government of Lebanon, and he has been acting accordingly since he took over. He approached Syria on this basis."

"All this explains the moderate statement made on Sunday by the March 14 conference," he added.

Bookmarking

Please comment on this article so that we can improve the experience of viewing this website.