The Future of Democracy in Lebanon
Event Featuring:
Overview
Political and sectarian struggles have long plagued Lebanon, a country that seems to be perpetually steeped in crisis. From the assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005 to the forced deadlock of the Lebanese government by Hezbollah in 2006, democracy in Lebanon seems to be a constant struggle in a delicate balance of power. Even with the recent turn of events and the election of a president, many questions remain for the future of governance in Lebanon. What will it take to overcome governmental crises and sectarian differences? Is democracy sustainable in the divided society? Riad al-Khouri and Graeme Bannerman addressed these issues in a discussion of the "Future of Democracy in Lebanon."
Event Summary
Riad al-Khouri began the discussion with a pessimistic assessment of the situation in Lebanon: instability and crises have afflicted Lebanon for a long time and will probably persist. The past few years in Lebanon have been characterized by a governmental impasse with Hezbollah hungry for its share of power. In the fighting in Lebanon over the past month, Hezbollah proved itself to be a very professional group, leading an unconventional army comparable to the Viet Minh. They launched what al-Khouri termed "a surgical response" to the governmental crisis and succeeded in taking West Beirut in approximately two hours with minimal casualties and minimal atrocities. The army, populated with soldiers who are for the most part sympathetic to or at least tolerant of Hezbollah, stood back and allowed Hezbollah to seize control. And most strikingly, al-Khouri noted, was Hezbollah's not-boastful and event mournful attitude — they felt sorry that they had resorted to the action but felt that it was what they had to do. The Doha Agreement that followed was a step in the right direction, but the fact that an armed struggle was needed to resolve governmental issues represented a trend that is, in the words of al-Khouri,"unsustainable." Al-Khouri proposed that Syrian participation was needed in order for Lebanon as a sectarian state to disappear. Despite Syria's "appalling regime," al-Khouri argued that Syria is moving in the right direction and that Syria and Lebanon have much to offer one another. While Lebanon can offer a great deal in terms of finance and business, Syria, with its experience of being a nonsectarian state despite being dominated by the Alawites, can guide Lebanon in state-building. Al-Khouri concluded that Lebanon in its current state could potentially lead to a drastic military dictatorship, the antithesis of the democracy that is hoped for.
Graeme Bannerman started his remarks with the definition of "democracy" and "Lebanon." Democracy, Bannerman believes, must be advocated by individuals. Bannerman expressed that the promotion of democracy is an integral part of US policy, but advancing democracy in the Middle East is somewhat "jaundiced" because individual sovereignty is not a common sentiment. In fact, Bannerman argued, the overwhelming majority of people in the Middle East do not accept the principle that the individual is key in society. Bannerman found that most identified themselves primarily as Muslims with the exception of Egyptians and Lebanese. Bannerman defined Lebanon as a state with a strong tradition of education, a good human rights record, a generally active civil society, and a state in which old identities were fading and a common feeling of nationalism was growing. Nevertheless, many obstacles persist for Lebanese nation-building, including the system of confessionalism and a "feckless" leadership which seems determined to promote politicians' interests rather than the common interests of the people. Too many have begun to see the conflict in terms of a "zero sum game" in which the success of one community means the failure of all other communities. The system, Bannerman posited, is too rigid and in a country that has experienced significant demographic shifts, the need for redistribution of power and the establishment of a fair democracy is imminent.
About this Event
Remarks were given on June 27, 2008 in the Boardman Room of the Middle East Institute.
Speaker Details
Riad al-Khouri is a Visiting Scholar, Middle East Center at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Mr. al Khouri is an economist specializing in the Middle East and North Africa region. He has undertaken extensive research on regional trade and political economy, among other topics, and writes widely about development issues. He taught economics at the American University in Beirut (AUB) and Beirut University College (now the Lebanese American University) and worked as a consultant for the European Commission, ESCWA, GTZ, ILO, IOM, OPEC Fund, UNDP, UNIDO, USAID, and the World Bank, among many other public sector organizations, as well as for numerous private firms.
Graeme Bannerman is an Adjunct Scholar at the Middle East Institute. He has run his own international consulting firm since 1987 that focuses on the Middle East and includes governments, private industry and educational institutions. Before entering the private sector, Bannerman worked on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1979 until 1987. His positions included Committee Staff Director under Chairman Richard Lugar. From 1979 to 1984, he was responsible for the Middle East and South Asia. Dr. Bannerman served as a Middle Eastern affairs analyst and on the Policy Planning Staff at the US State Department before going to work for the US Senate. He focused on Arab-Israeli affairs during the time of Camp David and the negotiation of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. Bannerman has taught at several institutions including Georgetown University, the George Washington University, and the American University in Beirut. He also has participated as an international observer of elections in Georgia, the Philippines, Haiti, Pakistan, the West Bank/Gaza, Mongolia, and Yemen. The views expressed in his presentations are his alone and not those of the Middle East Institute.
Attributions
This event summary was written by Maureen Hsia, a Publications Intern at the Middle East Institute and a graduate student at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago. This piece was edited by Megan Findakly, a Programs Interns at Middle East Institute and a sophomore at The George Washington University, studying International Affairs.
