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For a change, there seems to be a ray of hope in Lebanon following the meeting of US President George W. Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at Mount Vernon on Wednesday. Lebanon's parliament has delayed the process of appointing the country's next president to allow more time for its pro- and anti-Syrian factions to agree on a consensus candidate. But following the Bush-Sarkozy summit, there are indications that progress has been made to replace the pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud, whose presidential term ends this month.
Of course, it is difficult to predict the course of Lebanese politics, but it does appear that there is a meeting of minds due to the looming November 24 deadline. Lebanon's president is by convention a member of the Maronite Christian community and is elected by members of parliament, not by popular vote. The deadline set for the departure of Lahoud is very important for many Lebanese as they see the post as a symbol of unity rather than division.
The warning issued by the Maronite cardinals that the country is facing a volatile situation has been well-noted in Beirut. A unifying president will give the country much-needed stability. Unfortunately, as the Lebanese are aware, the opposite is also true.
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