Tuesday, December 17, 2019


Former Pakistan Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf given death sentence in high treason case

A special court in Islamabad handed the death penalty to Musharraf on Tuesday


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File picture of Pervez Musharraf. This is the first time in the history of Pakistan that a former army chief has been handed the death sentence. The special court order is subject to appeal.Image Credit: Gulf News Archive

SO FAR AND WHAT'S NEXT

  • Musharraf has been on trial for subverting the Constitution by promulgating state of emergency in the country on November 3, 2007. 
  • Musharraf is currently living in Dubai. His team can appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court.
  • Musharraf is suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body.
Dubai: Former Pakistan Army Chief and ex-president General (retired) Pervez Musharraf has been given the death penalty in a treason case by a special court in Pakistan.
This is the first time in the history of Pakistan that a former army chief has been handed the death sentence. The special court order is subject to appeal.
A three-member bench of the special court, headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, on Tuesday handed former military ruler Pervez Musharraf the death sentence.
Musharraf has been living in Dubai and London since 2016 after he was allowed to travel on medical grounds. He never went back despite court orders and was also earlier put on the list of most wanted people.
Musharraf was booked in the treason case in December 2013 for imposing a state of emergency on November 03, 2007 suspending the constitution of Pakistan. He was indicted on March 31, 2014, and the prosecution had tabled the entire evidence before the special court in September the same year. However, due to litigation at appellate forums, the trial of the former military dictator lingered on and he left Pakistan in March 2016.
Although the special court — comprising Justice Seth, Justice Nazar Akbar of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and Justice Shahid Karim of the LHC — had announced that it would deliver its verdict in the case today, the government’s prosecutor, Advocate Ali Zia Bajwa, said that they had submitted three petitions today.
One of the petitions asks that the court make three individuals — former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, former Supreme Court chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and former law minister Zahid Hamid — suspects in the case. The prosecutor said that according to a 2014 petition, Shaukat Aziz had told Musharraf to impose emergency.

What is the treason case

Musharraf has been on trial for subverting the Constitution by promulgating state of emergency in the country on November 3, 2007.  According to Article 6 of the 1973 Constitution, any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance, the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.
And a person found guilty of high treason as defined in Article 6 of the Constitution, shall be punishable with death or imprisonment for life.

Background

The verdict announced by the special court today was the one it had reserved on November 19. The special court at that time had said it would announce the verdict on Nov 28 on the basis of available record. However, days before the final verdict was to be announced, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government sought deferment of the announcement of the verdict and in a fresh petition, requested the Islamabad High Court that “the special court be restrained from passing final judgement in the trial”.
On November 27, the IHC stopped the special court from issuing its verdict reserved in the case on November 19. Additionally, they directed the government to notify a prosecution team by December 5.
On December 5, the new prosecution team for the government appeared before the special court after which the special court adjourned proceedings till December 17, adding that it would hear arguments and announce the verdict on the same day. The special court was reformed six times during the course of the case.

What next

The former army chief General Musharraf is currently living in Dubai. His team can appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court. If the top court upholds the special court's verdict, the president possesses the constitutional authority under Article 45 to pardon a death row defendant
Musharraf's counsel Advocate Raza Bashir said he had submitted a request to record his client's statement via Section 342 of the CrPC, adding that his client should be given the right to a fair trial. "Musharraf should get a right to defend," said Bashir. Musharraf's counsel said his client's health was not well enough for him to appear before the court.

Why Musharraf is hospitalized frequently

Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf is suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body. Musharraf showed symptoms of the disease in October 2018.
The treatment of amyloidosis is not possible in Pakistan and that is why he is staying in Dubai. Amyloidosis is a serious health problem that can lead to life-threatening organ failure.
Amyloidosis can affect different organs in different people, and there are different types of amyloid. Amyloidosis frequently affects the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system and digestive tract.

Video: 'I am being victimised as I have not been heard,' says former Pakistan army chief General Musharraf

Former military dictator of Pakistan was hospitalised in Dubai earlier this month

Pervez Musharraf
Former Pakistan President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf undergoes treatment at a hospital in Dubai.Image Credit: Social media

ALSO IN THIS PACKAGE
Dubai: Former Pakistan army chief and ex-president General (retired) Pervez Musharraf, who was given the death penalty by a special court on Tuesday, said that he was being victimised.
A close aide of Musharraf told Gulf News that the former Pakistani leader was given the sentence without being heard by the court.
Musharraf said that all the cases against him should be dropped as he was being victimised. “I have not been heard and I’m being victimised”, said Musharraf.

“As far as this [treason] case is concerned, this is absolutely baseless,” said a visibly ailing Musharraf in a video message.
“I have served my country for 10 years. I have fought for my country. This [treason] is the case in which I have not been heard and I have been victimised,” he said.

Military slams ruling

Pakistan's military siftly slammed the special court's ruling, saying in a statement that the armed forces were in "pain and anguish" over the decision.
"An ex-Army Chief, Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee and President of Pakistan, who has served the country for over 40 years, fought wars for the defense of the country can surely never be a traitor," the military said in a statement, adding the legal process "seems to have been ignored".

In Dubai hospital

Musharraf was last rushed to a hospital in Dubai on December 2 following deterioration of his health. He was moved to his house in Downtown Dubai a few days ago, and is currently under the care of full time medical staff at his home as well.
A senior leader of Musharraf’s political party — All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), told Gulf News that Musharraf would issue a detailed statement after consultation with his lawyers.
Musharraf, 78, is suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body. The treatment of amyloidosis is not possible in Pakistan and that is why he is staying in Dubai and is unable to attend the court hearing, added his party leader.

APML to challenge the verdict

In a statement to Gulf News, Mehrene Malik Adam, secretary general of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) said that the party has decided to file an appeal against the judgement.
"We are consulting our legal team and shall announce our future course of action," she said.
"We are appalled at todays’ verdict by the special court against the former president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, which was announced without hearing him. Despite a repeated request by the former president not to announce the decision in his absence and to give him the right to defend himself before the special court. We think this is an unconstitutional trial, pursued in the most unconstitutional way, without hearing his lawyer and giving them a chance to defend him," she added.
Mehrene said that immediate comments from General Musharraf was not possible as she claimed he was in the hospital.
"This is to remind that during his stay in Pakistan, as a law-abiding citizen, the former president did appear before all the courts to face the charges against him. Though, we firmly believe that all the cases created against the former president have mala fide, and he is being made subject to political victimization.
"We would like to remind that this case was formed on flimsy grounds, where aiders and abettors were excluded from the case and its hearing and the former president was singled out in the high treason case, though the decision was taken after consultation with the cabinet members, Chief Ministers, Governors and Corps Commanders.
"We show our reservations and concern against the one-sided decision by the special court, especially when the former president is under treatment and fighting against the deadly disease."

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Turkish lira falls after Erdogan threat to shut Nato bases

Turkey’s currency depreciated 0.7% to 5.85 per dollar by 5.25pm
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The Turkish lira slid to its weakest level in almost two months on speculation Turkey was headed for a fresh spat with the USImage Credit: AP
Ankara: The Turkish lira slid to its weakest level in almost two months on speculation Turkey was headed for a fresh spat with the US.
The currency depreciated 0.7 per cent to 5.85 per dollar by 5.25pm in Istanbul after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to close two critical Nato bases. He said on Sunday that would be an option if Washington sanctioned Ankara for buying a Russian missile-defence system.
The two have been at odds over Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 system earlier this year. Nato says it is incompatible with Ankara’s membership of the bloc, and the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has voted to impose sanctions that could plunge Turkey into renewed economic turmoil.
With inflation accelerating, Turkey’s real yields may not provide much of a buffer if appetite for the nation’s assets sours. The lira has already weakened more than any other emerging-market currency since December 12, when the central bank cut rates a for a fourth straight meeting to 12 per cent, bringing the total reduction since early July to 1,200 basis points.
The currency could fall another 1.5 per cent toward an October-low of 5.938 if there’s “a relatively harsh response from US officials to remarks from President Erdogan,” said Piotr Matys, a London-based strategist at Rabobank.
Government bonds also fell, with the yield on 10-year local-currency notes jumping 16 basis points to 12.52 per cent. The benchmark stock gauge advanced for a third day, led by Akbank TAS — one of the country’s largest listed lenders — as risk appetite across global markets remained buoyant.
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Dubai Police arrests Ridouan Taghi, leader of Angels of Death gang

Angels of Death is one of the most dangerous criminal organisation in Europe and Africa
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Radhwan Tagi
Interpol had issued a Red Corner notice for Ridouan Taghi and the Dutch police had put up a reward of 100,000 euros for anyone who provide information of Tagi’s whereabouts.Image Credit: Courtesy of Interpol
Dubai: The ring leader of the ‘Angels of Death’ motorcycle gang has been arrested in Dubai, a Dubai Police official said on Monday.
Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, Commander-In-Chief of Dubai Police, said 41-year-old Ridouan Taghi - described as ‘the Netherlands’ most dangerous man’ - was arrested in cooperation with Dutch authorities who issued an arrest warrant last year through Interpol.
"He is one of the world’s most dangerous and wanted men and listed on Interpol for his connections to serious organised crime,” said Al Merri. “He was arrested in Dubai in a residential villa after he entered the country using a different ID,” he added.
Taghi used a real passport and visa to enter the UAE from Holland, which was issued before the arrest warrant, according to Al Merri. He didn’t commit any crime in the UAE but had assistants here from different nationalities who were able to help him.
"He is wanted for crimes like murder and drug trafficking and was the leader of an organization called the ‘Angels of Death’, which is one of the most serious criminal organisations in the Netherlands,” Al Marri said.
Dubai Police said Taghi committed several crimes in Europe and Africa but avoided arrest by using different identities.
Dutch police commissioner Erik Akerboom thanked the UAE and Dubai Police for their help in tracing and apprehending Taghi. Akerboom said that the cooperation with Dubai Police is an example of positive work being done to fight international organised crime.
Al Merri praised the work of his force under the Ministry of Interior's umbrella to arrest Taghi.
"We have elite police force members who are qualified to solve mysterious cases,” said Al Merri. “It is part of UAE’s strategy to spread safety and security worldwide, and to fight crime everywhere in the world with Interpol," he added.

How the arrest happened

Brigadier Jamal Al Jallaf, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department at Dubai Police, said their Dutch counterparts contacted Dubai Police after they learnt that the suspect was in the UAE or GCC region.
"Dutch authorities were facing difficulties in arresting the suspect,” said Al Jallaf. “We formed a team of officers to gather information about the suspect and locate his residence. He was arrested and admitted to his crimes," Al Jallaf added.
Dubai Police said that the Dutch police had put up a reward of 100,000 euros for anyone who provide information of Tagi’s whereabouts.
Al Jallaf said Tagi was referred to the judicial authority in the UAE to begin criminal proceedings against him.
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French hoax costs Bloomberg Dh25m worth of fines

Report based on fake news release triggered plunge in shares of construction giant Vinci
Paris: France’s financial markets watchdog on Monday hit Bloomberg with a five million euro (Dh20.5 million) fine for a report based on a fake news release that triggered a plunge in the shares of French construction giant Vinci and wiped billions off its market value.
The company’s shares tumbled by nearly a fifth on November 22, 2016, after several media issued reports based on what purported to be a press release from Vinci.
The statement said Vinci had sacked its chief financial officer and was restating its accounts for 2015 and the first half of 2016 after the discovery of accounting errors amounting to several billion euros.
The financial markets watchdog AMF said Bloomberg distributed “information that it should have known was false”.
The AMF said Bloomberg did not respect journalistic ethics “as no verification of the information was undertaken before publication.”
The fake statement was almost indistinguishable from a normal press release from the group but was posted on a so-called mirror site. The address of the website was not the normal one and the mobile phone number for the spokesman was incorrect.
The false statement linking to the wrong phone number had even been ostensibly signed by the head of Vinci’s media relations department.
Half an hour after sending the original fake statement, the hoaxers sent a fake denial, adding to the confusion, before Vinci issued a genuine denial.
Vinci’s shares fell 19 per cent at one point, wiping six billion euros off the company’s value.
Bloomberg News said it was disappointed with the AMF’s decision and that it plans to appeal.
“Bloomberg News was one of the victims of a sophisticated hoax... We regret that the AMF did not find and punish the perpetrator of the hoax, and chose instead to penalise a media outlet that was doing its very best to report on what appeared to be newsworthy information,” said a spokesman.
AFP was among media that received the fake information but noticed the document had been put online by the mirror site using the address vinci.group rather than vinci.com.
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Ukraine: A moment of peace on the front line

Laughter, stomachaches and running for your life on the front line of the war in Donetsk.
by Ioana Moldovan
17 Dec 2019
Koha takes a moment to rest in a ruined building 
[Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]

It was a cloudy August day in 2015 when I arrived in Zenit, a Ukrainian army position on the front line of the war between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists.

Unlike Pisky or Avdiivka, two other hotspots on the front line close to the Donetsk airport - whose ruins after months of sustained battles were then under the control of the separatists - Zenit is not the name of a town. It is a military defence position that was once the location of Donetsk airport's anti-aircraft systems.

A couple of dozen Ukrainian soldiers had been tasked with defending this strategically important post. For the next week, I would document their lives in a place that resembled a post-apocalyptic film set; where the few remaining buildings were riddled with mortar and bullet holes, the ground was pockmarked and the trees stood branchless.

On that first day, not long after I arrived, I went on foot patrol with a few of the soldiers. After passing through an abandoned building, its battered walls barely seeming to hold it upright, we ran, single file, across an open field. Discarded vehicles sat rusting among the mud and long grass: a burned-out tank here, the skeleton of a car there. The sun barely pierced the clouds but I felt hot as I ran in my bulletproof vest.

Then the sniper fire began.
The soundtrack to life on the front lines

We sprinted for cover, finding some behind a dilapidated army truck. The unit commander signalled for us to stay down.

It was my first experience of war, the first time I had heard shots ripping through the air around me. My heart pounded against my ribs. How many minutes passed like that - my back pressed against the rusting metal, my knees pressed into my torso - I could not tell for sure.

Then the commander signalled again: for us to run back in the direction we had come from. I ran at what felt like record-breaking speed, cursing my years of smoking as I did so. One hundred metres, two hundred metres, back to the "safety" offered by the riddled walls of the abandoned building.

As I tried to regain my breath, one of the soldiers spoke.

"Arm, phhh ... leg, phhh," he said, trying to explain the effects of a sniper bullet hitting your body.

Koha, the nom de guerre for Konstantin Bernatovich, was a 33-year-old father of twins from Kyiv. He had a punkish haircut and a warm, expressive face. A former TV cameraman and photographer, he had volunteered for the army five months earlier. He was now, among other things, my press officer.

"Head, phhh, big pampers," he continued in his not so proficient English, his hands mimicking a head exploding.

We laughed.

It felt strangely natural to laugh there.

Later that evening, back at the main position, Alexandr, a 33-year-old soldier who goes by the nom de guerre "Grom" (Thunder), beckoned everyone inside.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our concert," said the shaven-headed unit sapper as blasts rattled the walls of the 50sq metre space that served as kitchen, living room and dining area.

Along with the staccato of mortar fire in the evening and the midday zip of sniper fire, laughter was the soundtrack to life on the front line.

But there were times when a more solemn mood descended upon Zenit.
Surrounded by rubble and mortar fire

In the evenings, the soldiers would sit on an old sofa to watch TV: sometimes it was the news, at others a movie or The X Factor. The wall behind the TV had been destroyed by a direct tank hit and rebuilt with bags of dirt and logs that propped up the ceiling. Beneath this room were the two underground levels where the soldiers slept.

Then, one evening, in a matter of seconds, there were no longer TV-watching soldiers on the sofa, but a badly wounded one. A direct mortar hit had destroyed his underground den, his 'nora' as the soldiers called it. The medics cleaned his head wound; the torn skin peeling away like crepe paper with each wipe. The nearest hospital was 30km away; the medics would have to drive through the dark without headlights on roads under constant attack to get him there.

The jokes suddenly flowed a little less freely - until a few days later, that was, when we found out that he had survived and was no longer in danger.

One day, en route to a forward post, I took this photo of Koha sitting in a ruined building. He was not feeling well (stomachaches do not care if you are fighting a war) and had his eyes closed. He did not know I was there, but he looked so peaceful in those few moments of rest surrounded by rubble and mortar fire. It was an image that stayed with me.

I kept in touch with Koha after the war and saw him in Kyiv the following year when I went back to work on a story about PTSD. We met for a beer at a self-service restaurant near Independence Square. As loud voices and laughter filled the place, we reminisced about Zenit. He was happy to be home and trying to adapt to life far from the front. It felt good to see him again and a relief to know that he was safe.

In 2017, the Romanian embassy in Kyiv held an exhibition featuring some of my photos. They invited Koha and gave him a print of the picture I had taken of him. They sent me a photo of him holding it. He looked happy. It made me cry.

Koha holds the photograph at the Romanian embassy in Kyiv
[Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
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Iran confirms President Hassan Rouhani to visit US ally Japan

Announcement comes after Japan PM Shinzo Abe said Tokyo keen to play bigger role in resolving Tehran-Washington impasse.

16 Dec 2019

Rouhani will be the first Iranian president to visit Japan since 2000 [File: Ebrahim Noroozi/AP]

President Hassan Rouhani will visit Japan later this week, according to Iran's state media, marking the first trip to the country by an Iranian head of state in nearly 20 years.

Rouhani will arrive in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, on Friday, Iran's official IRNA news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying on Monday.
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Araghchi said the one-day visit will be "very intense" and that it comes as Iran faces maximum pressure from the United States and a wide array of plots to isolate it internationally, IRNA reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said a week ago his country was arranging the visit because it wanted to play a greater role in resolving a nuclear impasse between Tehran and Washington and in relieving tensions in the Middle East, the source of more than 80 percent of Japan's oil.

Japan, a US ally that has traditionally had friendly relations with Iran, seeks to serve as a mediator between the Washington and Tehran, Abe said.

The last Iranian president to visit Japan was Mohammad Khatami in 2000.
Abe mediation efforts

Tensions have escalated between Washington and Tehran since US President Donald Trump's decision last year to withdraw from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Subsequent US sanctions which block Iran from selling crude oil abroad have crippled its economy, prompting Tehran to gradually reduce its commitment to the nuclear deal.

Abe, who has developed friendly ties with Trump, travelled to Tehran in June, in an unsuccessful effort to encourage Iran and the US to hold talks to reduce tensions.

Abe's visit coincided with attacks on two oil tankers - one of which was operated by a Japanese shipping company - in the Gulf that the US blamed on Iran. Tehran denied it was behind the attacks.

Abbas Mousavi, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, said on Monday it was "natural" for Rouhani to visit Japan following Abe's move.

Talks between the two leaders would focus on "issues and developments" in each other's region and the nuclear deal, Mousavi added.

Japan had been a major buyer of Iranian crude but stopped purchases to comply with the US sanctions.

Before heading to Tokyo, Rouhani is due to attend a summit of Muslim heads of state in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Monday's developments came after the US and Iran swapped prisoners earlier this month in a rare act of cooperation between the longtime foes.

The exchange prompted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to say Tehran was "fully ready" for a full prisoner exchange, adding the ball was "in the US' court".


SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
SEE https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=JAPAN

SEE https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=IRAN

SEE https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2006/09/us-war-on-capitalism-in-iran.html
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Lebanon delays nomination of new PM amid protests, divisions

President postpones talks which were expected to result in Saad Hariri being named as next prime minister.

by Timour Azhari
16 Dec 2019 18:10 GMT

Lebanese police clashed with anti-government protesters in Beirut late Sunday, firing tear gas to prevent them from breaching barricades near Parliament [Anwar Amro/AFP]

Beirut, Lebanon - The nomination of Lebanon's next prime minister has been postponed after major Christian parties said they would not support the candidacy of caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri, presenting a new impasse after weeks of political wrangling.

Hariri resigned on October 29 amid widespread protests against Lebanon's ruling elite, but had seemed set to return on Monday after all other candidates failed to secure enough support from the country's Sunni Muslim establishment.
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As Lebanon's post-war system dies, a new one struggles to be born

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Nations urge Lebanon to form 'credible' government to unlock aid

Under Lebanon's complex political system, where power is shared among religious groups, the prime minister must always be a Sunni, the president a Maronite Christian and the speaker of Parliament a Shia Muslim. Meanwhile, according to the modern-day interpretation of a key article in the Constitution, there must be parity in the representation of Christians and Muslims in Parliament and government.

This premise of sectarian power-sharing now poses the greatest obstacle to Hariri's candidacy, as without the support of the major Christian parties in government, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and the Lebanese Forces, the government’s constitutional legitimacy could be called into question.

A statement from Hariri's office said that the caretaker PM on Monday requested that Aoun postpone the binding parliamentary consultations during which a new prime minister is selected, "in order to avoid adding constitutional and national problems to the great social, economic and financial crisis facing our country".

Aoun rescheduled the talks for Thursday.
Riding the wave

Since he resigned, Hariri has said he would return to government only in a cabinet made up of technocrats and experts - a key demand of protesters, most of whom have rejected Hariri's potential return as prime minister.

Thousands protested in Beirut on Sunday night to reject Hariri's expected nomination.

Hezbollah and its allies, the Amal Movement, along with the FPM, have rejected Hariri’s conditions and instead called for a government of both politicians and technocrats. Last week, the FPM announced it would not participate in any government headed by Hariri.

Early on Monday, the Lebanese Forces - which is nominally allied with Hariri - announced it would not name anyone during the planned consultations, dealing him another blow.

Bassel Salloukh, an associate professor of political science at the Lebanese American University, said that these developments effectively ended Hariri's attempt to strengthen his hand on the back of the uprising.

"It seems he tried to free-ride the revolution, but his bluff has been called," Salloukh told Al Jazeera.

Hariri had made concessions to the FPM in 2016 in a deal that saw the party's founder Michel Aoun elected president and Hariri return as prime minister.

Salloukh said Hariri would now be forced to make concessions again: either back someone else for prime minister, or try to find a way out with either of the major Christian parties.

A senior Lebanese Forces official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera that the party would not reverse its decision to refrain from naming a prime minister, so that it can be "convinced" of the makeup of the next government before backing it in Parliament.

"We have to wait and see if the final outcome is appropriate or not, because there are so many deals being made and so many people excluded from these discussions," the source said.

"As long as the prime minister and government are accepted by the people, we will give it confidence," the source added, meaning Hariri would likely be excluded "unless he can convince the people he's the right choice".
'No more delays'

Meanwhile, the FPM is not giving up any ground either.

Pierre Raffoul, a political adviser to President Aoun, told local news channel Al Jadeed that Hariri's condition of a purely technocratic government was a non-starter, and that consultations would be held on Thursday, putting pressure on Hariri to find a way to break the deadlock.

"I want to tell the prime minister: if you are still coming from the standpoint of 'I will choose and I will decide' ... That won't work with us," Raffoul said. "[Consultations] won't be delayed any more, it will be on Thursday, either he [Hariri] is named or someone else than him, let everyone bear their responsibilities."

Salloukh said he believed the deadlock effectively returned negotiations "back to square one", but that the impasse could create the space for a new type of government to emerge.

"This kind of inability of the political elite to find agreement may pave the way for a truly independent professional government," he said.

There is also the possibility that Hariri could be named prime minister, but the process of actually forming a government could take a long time. The previous cabinet formation process took almost nine months.

Lebanon is in the midst of a deep economic and financial crisis. The country is the world’s third-most indebted nation as a ratio of gross domestic product and is spiralling into more debt.

At the same time, a dollar shortage has threatened to cause shortages of basic imports such as fuel, wheat and medicine, and has pressured a decades-old currency peg of 1,500 Lebanese pounds to the US dollar. Rates were higher on Monday, at 2,000 pounds.
Business as usual

The UN's representative in Lebanon Jan Kubis Monday said the postponement of parliamentary consultations was "either a sign that following the events and statements of the last days politicians start to understand that they cannot neglect the voice of the people, or another attempt to buy time for business as usual."

"But with the collapsing economy, it is a risky hazard both for the politicians, but even more so for Lebanon and its people," he said.

Salloukh said a protracted delay in forming a cabinet could be disastrous.

"[It is] not simply a case of these politicians shooting themselves in the foot. They are shooting the entire country in the head," he said.


SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS
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