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This month's Arab summit in Syria can witness for the first time the absence of a Lebanese president. And this is not acceptable in Arab politics, for more than one reason.
First, Lebanon is a founding member of the Arab League and it would be a blow to the organisation and the joint Arab action.
Secondly, the current Lebanese crisis is expected to top the summit agenda, and it doesn't make sense to discuss, and attempt to find a way out of the deadlock, if Lebanon was not there in the first place.
Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the Lebanese president is usually the only Arab Christian president to be present in an Arab summit. Arabs, and Lebanese in particular, take pride in this fact. It signifies the rich history of co-existence in this otherwise troubled region. Therefore, Tuesday's parliament scheduled session, aimed to elect a new president, must be held and a leader elected. It takes, of course, some compromise from rival factions to do that. There is no other way, is there?
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