True democracy is done by simple majority

Lebanese current events of October 31, 2007.
Reflexions on the political and economic Lebanese news.

True Democracy is done by a simple majority
The Imposition of a president by democrat voting
On 31.10.2007

I-The Facts:

1
The political haggling in secret between Lebanese political leaders continue. The media can only publish statements with the intention of propaganda without revealing sensitive subjects which are not presentable to the public. There is no transparency in the political negotiations. Citizens may be misinformed and misled. In any case, the people have no power except demonstrations and riots, to lead the current events of the presidential election and the access to the power of the Lebanese State. Lebanese deputies are free to do what they want after they had a white card in the legislative elections.

2
In this campaign for the election of the President of the Republic, we can say that the private interests of each clan dominate the Lebanese political secret motivations of the actions and political positions. Each clan interprets the Constitution and the rule of law according to its own interests.

3
Mr. Nabih BERRY, Shiite, president of the parliament, wants an agreement but he is suspected to preserve first his privileges on the powers he has in parliament, south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, with its ally HIZBOLLAH. He is not free of ties of interests with the regimes of Syria and Iran. He could not conceive a Lebanese State independent of the influences of these two non-democratic regimes.

4
M. Saad HARIRI, Sunni, with the assistance of M. Fouad SANIORA, Sunni Prime Minister, wants an agreement but he is suspected to preserve first his privileges on the decisions of the current government, for the promotion of commercial and economic affairs with his group. His interests are linked to the solidarity of the Arab Sunnis in particular Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It is also linked to the interests of the leaders of Kornet Chehwan, Kataebs, Lebanese Forces and other groups on 14 March that bring him some support from the Christian community in Lebanon.

5
Mr Amine GEMAYEL, Mr Samir GEAGEA, and other leaders of political Christian groups from the 14 March Majority, want an agreement but they are suspicious of weaknesses in the defence of rights and the future of the Lebanese independent Christian Culture. Their military and financial resources are limited and they are forced to seek support from Western Democrats countries. They are looking for power-sharing with Saad HARIRI to keep interests with the Saniora government.

6
The current government of Prime Minister SANIORA is weakened. It lost support from the Shiites since July 2006 war between Israel and HEZBOLLAH. It is supported by the Group of 14 March whose Christian groups are not the main political component of the Lebanese Christians. The political group of General AOUN which is the main Christian political force has been marginalized and excluded from power. The government SANIORA, predominantly Sunni, is suspected of not wanting to share power with a strong group among Christians of Lebanon.

7
The traditional leader of the Druze, Mr. Walid JOUMBLATT, has the surprising courage for several years to speak freely in favour of the end of the Syrian hegemony over Lebanon. But he remains suspect not sufficiently share the powers of the State with the most influential Christians partners as the group of General AOUN.

8
The group of General AOUN is the most representative of the Christian population in Lebanon, especially for disadvantaged social strata. Its general policy is similar to that of the group of 14 March governmental authority today. But it is outside of governmental power. This group is suspected of befriending pro-Syrian Lebanese in a manner contrary to its previous policy of combating the Syrian influence in Lebanon.

9
Three weeks before the end of the period of the presidential election campaign, it is impossible to reach an agreement that could be supported by two thirds of deputies in the Lebanese Parliament to elect a president of the Republic with consensus.

10
With each day, we are seeing rumours of dialogues in both directions: optimistic and pessimistic. Fine words on generalities and moral principles required for a future president might jam on the private interests of each clan. As soon as the dialogue approaches the name of the future President of the Republic dialogues turn into ruptures.

11
The moral influence of Maronite Patriarchate was used until exhaustion. But we know that the prayers of the pious can not prevent terrorists from harm. Politicians use Lebanese clerics since the religious faith is widespread and highly influential in the social attitude of the Lebanese. It is a factor of social calm in the same religious community, but it does not guarantee any mechanism for automatic solution of conflicts. There are more Democrats who claim than easily submitted persons among Christians of Lebanon. The Lebanese political schemers use the rostrum of Bkerké for their political promotions. No Lebanese politician has the courage to publicly separate its political action facing the religious influences on all Lebanese!

12
The fact today is that the Lebanese have not yet realized that democratic rule is made for selection, by an automatic mechanism, the choices and decisions on behalf of the Lebanese people, for the Lebanese society and away from civil wars, blackmail and blockages in the functioning of the state.

II - The Arguments for the solution by a vote in parliament with several tours ending with a simple majority.

1
Differences of opinions are normal in a free democratic society. The decisions choice commands respect by all Lebanese of a democratic rule for an automatic selection of the laws and the officials of the State.

We have daily demonstrations of political endless dealings. At each dialogue between political leaders, people and the media cling to a hope. We hear of understanding rumours then of conflict rumours and vice versa permanently. This situation gives the Lebanese concerned for its future chronically ill of depression and anxiety. The country's economy remains dire and hopeless. This present acute situation because of the presidential election campaign is ongoing since Lebanon's independence in 1943. What is at issue is the lack of democratic rules of the Lebanese Constitution. There is no clear, clean and efficient description of democratic rules that would impose automatic and mandatory selections at all levels of decisions of the administration of the Lebanese State. On the contrary, there are a lot of rules blocking decisions that make the Lebanese State ungovernable. More, there are officials who abuse their powers without any solutions to remove and try them. The worst is that the armed groups, which threaten by terrorism to destabilize the country, totally distort the respect for democratic rules.

In recalling that it is essential to have the military capacity and healthy judiciary means to enforce the decisions of the Lebanese state, it is even more important to realize democratic rules of mandatory and fast selections of decisions in order to have a just functioning into the Lebanese State.

2
Unanimity is a fallacious fantasy unworkable in a democracy.

The dictator who claimed to be elected by his people with a vote supporting to the tune of 99.9% will testify that he can only get this figure by terrorist actions, pressure, blackmail, corruption and lies organized by his clan against all the opponents of his regime.

On each topic or issue in Lebanon, it may be normal that there are 4 million different opinions if there are 4 million Lebanese citizens!

For each topic or issue to be addressed, every Lebanese can normally change his opinion during the time evolution or based on different arguments that can be submitted to justify its choice.

If we want to be free and democrats, it is clear that the multiplicity of views must be managed to achieve an acceptable choice by most people for every problem. In a democracy, we reject the unjust methods of dictators. Therefore, we need democratic rules to find choices to deal with the problems of society.

In the current Constitution, the people of Lebanon gave power to deputies to choose the laws and political leaders of the country.

For each topic, you can imagine 128 different opinions as there are 128 deputies in the Lebanese Parliament.

If Members are truly free to choose, no unanimity or consensus to two-thirds or an agreement by a simple majority are possible.

3
The rally of Deputies for a two-thirds majority is not always possible and we should not block the functioning of the State for such a requirement.

Certainly, an agreement between members on a given topic with a two-thirds majority is a good thing that gives the impression that the choice is just in the interests of the Lebanese people. But, in principle, we can not rally the two-thirds of those voting unless using corruption, or pressure, or blackmail, or submission to heads of clans in a climate of mutual interests. In these circumstances, true democracy begins to suffer from dishonesty harming the people rights!

4
A simple majority, of at least half the members plus one, is the essential democratic solution to prevent bottlenecks in the functioning of the Lebanese State.

A simple majority of half plus one of the deputies on a given subject does not mean that the people of Lebanon is divided into two irreconcilable groups! So political threats to cut the country in two by civil war are ridiculous and are used only as political clan tricks!

A simple majority of half plus one of the deputies in the election of a president of the republic does not mean that half the members have confidence in the candidate elected.

The candidate elected president by at least half plus one of the deputies means that he is supported by the largest grouping of Deputies at the instant of the election even if at the beginning he was supported by several, or 10 or 20 or 30 Members of Parliament, for example. The final grouping of half the members plus one represents those who chose the least bad candidate from the presidential candidates. In the last ballot, deputies are forced to choose a president even if they do not share all of its policy by voting yes or no on his candidature.

Thus, the democratic rule of choice of the President, by selection on several tours ending with the mandatory choice of the least bad candidate which is supported by at least half the members plus one, is a democratic, automatic and quick solution of the present political Lebanese crisis. It is understood that if there are Lebanese or foreign groups who want to use terrorism to prevent the democratic process to take place, it will be the duty of the Lebanese army to support the Lebanese democrats to put those terrorist groups out of harming the people and the Lebanese State.

III – Lebanese Deputies Call.

The Directorate of LSTDO,
(Webmaster@lebanese-transparent-democracy.org )
(Www.lebanese-transparent-democracy.org )
Advises deputies of Lebanon to act before November 24, 2007, to impose sessions for the selection of candidates for the presidency of the republic by free votes in several rounds ending with a final vote to choose one of two candidates selected at the penultimate round.

We believe that by this rule true democracy in Lebanon can be fair even if the future president had originally some deputies with him. The selection by several rounds imposes to the other deputies to choose on the basis of the least bad candidate for them and the grouping together becomes automatic for at the end a candidate elected with support of at least half the members plus one.

This automatic mechanism, in formal sessions, largely limits pressures, blackmail and tricks that deputies suffer and preventing the influence of private interests on the interest of the public service of the Lebanese State.

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