Date: Jan 17, 2019 Source: The Daily Star Rai warns against changing equal power-sharing system Hussein Dakroub| The Daily Star BEIRUT: The head of the influential Maronite Church warned Wednesday against attempts to change the country’s ruling system based on equal power-sharing between Muslims and Christians, in the latest ramifications of the failure by the political class to form a new government and cope with deteriorating economic conditions. The warning by Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai, issued in a speech during a meeting Wednesday in Bkirki attended by heads of Maronite parliamentary blocs and lawmakers, came as the country is reeling under a worsening economic and financial crisis, as well as a chronic political deadlock that has left Lebanon without a fully functioning government for nearly eight months after the May parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri locked horns over Libya’s participation in the upcoming Arab economic summit, in a development reflecting tension between the leaders that was bound to further complicate the Cabinet formation process. Hariri expressed regret over Libya’s decision not to attend the Arab economic summit following street protests staged by supporters of Berri’s Amal Movement over Libya’s invitation to the event. “This is an occasion to express my deep regret for the absence of the Libyan delegation from this meeting and to emphasize that the relationship between brothers must remain above any offenses,” Hariri said in a televised speech at the Arab Private Sector Forum ahead of the 2019 Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, set to be held in Beirut on Jan. 19-20. Berri swiftly reacted to Hariri’s remarks, saying in a statement afterward that what was truly regrettable was Lebanon’s failure to confront Libya over the disappearance of Imam Musa Sadr, the Amal Movement founder, during an official visit to the North African nation in 1978. “All the regret should not be for the absence of the Libyan delegation, but for the absence of the Lebanese delegation [in facing] the great offense inflicted on all of Lebanon for more than four decades,” Berri said. Libya has officially announced that it would not attend the summit after Amal supporters Sunday night tore down and burned a Libyan flag near the summit venue, and replaced it with the Amal flag. Hariri’s parliamentary Future Movement bloc Tuesday criticized Amal’s street protests and Berri’s calls to postpone the summit over Libya’s participation and the failure to invite Syria. Berri and his Amal Movement are opposed to Lebanon having ties with Libya because of the disappearance of Sadr and two of his companions during an official visit to the country when it was ruled by Moammar Gadhafi. Berri has accused the current Libyan government of failing to cooperate with a Lebanese committee to determine the fate of Sadr and his two companions. Rai had invited the heads of the Free Patriotic Movement, the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb Party and the Marada Movement, as well as Maronite ministers and lawmakers to meet in Bkirki to consider ways to resolve the Cabinet formation crisis and to cope with worsening economic conditions. “We need a united national wake-up call so we can move forward with all the components of the Lebanese society to protect the republic,” Rai said in an opening speech after a prayer. “This meeting, as Maronites, is for Lebanon and all Lebanese people ... and it is not our intention to exclude anyone.” “Everyone knows the dangerous social situation and living conditions the people are enduring, which prompted them to stage demonstrations and strikes ... Young people who cannot find jobs are leaving the country. It’s a great loss that cannot be replaced,” he added. Rai, who has decried in his weekly sermons the delay in the Cabinet formation and slammed political rivals for giving priority to their own interests above the country’s interest, said at the root of the current political crisis was the nonimplementation of the Taif Accord and the Constitution both in letter and spirit. He added new norms and practices had been introduced that ran counter to the letter and spirit of the Constitution and the Taif Accord that made constitutional institutions the property of sects rather than the state. “This [situation] has raised fears of proposals being made covertly and overtly for changing the system and identity, and about a constituent conference [to establish a new political system] and a tripartite system of governance [including Christians, Sunnis and Shiites] that would undermine the Christian-Muslim coexistence formula,” Rai said. The patriarch and Christian political leaders staunchly oppose a tripartite system of governance because it would weaken the Christians’ sway and strengthen the Muslims’ hold on power. Declaring that Lebanese unity was under threat today, Rai said: “In the face of this worrisome situation and given the desire of many Lebanese who want this place [the seat of the Maronite Church] to launch a salvation initiative, I deemed it my duty to call for this responsible consultative meeting to discuss ways to unify opinions on how to emerge from this political, economic and financial danger.” A final communique issued after the meeting said the participants adopted Rai’s speech, while stressing their adherence to national unity, the National Charter [on power sharing] and coexistence with their Muslim partners on the basis of fair and balanced national partnership. They affirmed their adherence to the respect of the Constitution and state sovereignty and rejected attempts to infringe on the power of constitutional institutions, at the forefront of which is the presidency, the statement said. The conferees stressed the need to accelerate the forming of a “productive” government according to the Constitution. They voiced support for the Lebanese Army and security forces to do their job in defending Lebanon and preserving its security and sovereignty. They also called for taking measures to ensure the return of Syrian refugees to their country as soon as possible. However, the meeting was marred by a spat between Marada Movement head Sleiman Frangieh and a FPM lawmaker. “We did not come here to support a vote power for the president,” Frangieh said, responding to FPM MP Ziad Aswad. “Government formation would work if the FPM lets go of one [minister]” from their share, he added. Frangieh was commenting on reports that President Michel Aoun and FPM head and caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil were seeking to obtain 11 ministers that would grant them a veto power in a 30-member Cabinet. Despite strained ties between them, Frangieh had a handshake with his archfoe Bassil under the watch of Rai and LF MP George Adwan.