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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 March - 5 April 2000 Issue No. 475 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 March - 5 April 2000 Issue No. 475
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons A delicate balance
By Ranwa Yehia"I cannot take away the life of a human being which was given by God," Lebanese Prime Minister Selim Hoss said in justifying his controversial decision not to sign a decree ordering the execution of two men convicted of murder.
Hoss' action became the subject of a heated political debate when the absence of his signature from the execution decree was leaked to the press on 18 March -- two days before the execution of two convicted murderers was scheduled.
According to the Lebanese constitution, an execution order has to be signed by the president and the prime minister. However, Hoss delegated his deputy, Interior Minister Michel Murr, to sign the decree instead of him. Once the matter became public, President Emile Lahoud immediately ordered the execution to be delayed and asked Justice Minister Joseph Shaoul to examine the constitutionality of Hoss' action.
That the ensuing debate, which has gripped the country for the past 10 days, was initially raised for purely political reasons perhaps accounts for the downplaying of the humanitarian significance of Hoss' decision. Within Lebanon, only the People's Rights Movement, a non-governmental organisation, and the Communist Party praised the premier's unprecedented move.
While Hoss, a Sunni Muslim, remained firm in his refusal to sign the decree, the debate raged not over the reasons for his stand, but whether his decision to delegate his deputy to sign a presidential decree was constitutional.
According to human rights activists in Beirut, another reason for the limited reaction among the country's rights movement might be that Hoss' support for human rights issues, including his condemnation of capital punishment, are well-known.
But while legal experts and politicians were engrossed in whether Hoss had the right to refuse to sign a presidential decree or what his move meant in the delicate political system based on sectarian divisions, it is still peculiar that nearly no one praised the premier's firm stand.
A Lebanese child sits in her father's car which was destroyed in an Israeli raid against south Lebanon on Sunday
(photo: AFP)
In fact, one Lebanese lawyer actually criticised Hoss for refusing to sign the decree without presenting an amendment to the Penal Code. "In my opinion, a prime minister cannot refuse to sign an execution decree by saying it contradicts his principles, particularly when he has never presented or mentioned his intention to amend the law -- not even in his statement upon resuming his post," said lawyer Ghada Ibrahim in an opinion piece, published 22 March in the daily As-Safir newspaper.
Whether Hoss' move is viewed as progressive or not, the fact that the political stir it caused is essentially over the constitution highlights the delicate political arrangement by which Lebanon is governed.
While some would argue that the heated debate over the issue indicates a healthy political atmosphere, many believe it exposes political tensions lying beneath the surface.
What began as a constitutional debate turned into a confessional tug-of-war, with politicians blaming Hoss for giving up his powers as a Sunni leader in favour of his Christian Orthodox deputy. Legal experts have claimed that Murr's signature was not valid because the constitution does not delineate the duties for the post of deputy prime minister. This post is believed by some to have been created with the sole aim of appeasing the Orthodox Christian community.
Meanwhile, Sunni Grand Mufti Mohamed Rashid Qabbani held talks with former premiers Rafik Hariri and Omar Karami to discuss the impact of Hoss' action on the position of the Sunni leadership.
Hoss has implied that Hariri was behind the political turmoil surrounding the issue, suggesting that the former premier is trying to weaken his position. Hoss also accused Hariri, who owns the Mustaqbal television channel and a newspaper of the same name, of inciting the media against him.
"I have been subject to a violent media campaign by those who own media outlets and monopolise an important part of the rest of the media through their financial clout," Hoss said.
