The Syrian strike force in Lebanon is working again to turn the clock back nine years, notably to 1995, when a similar heresy was committed and a presidential mandate was extended after the amendment of the constitution, which was supposed to be then for one time only and an exceptional measure, Beirut's daily Annahar which is leading a campaign against the renewal/extension of President Emile Lahoud's term said Sunday. The paper denounced the government's decision taken at a "lightning meeting" Saturday to ask the parliament to amend the constitution to make the presidential mandate nine instead of six years, extending as such Lahoud's mandate by three years until 2007. Clause 49 of the constitution was amended once before in 1995 to allow the extension of former President Elias Hrawi's mandate for three years.

An array of regional, international and local reasons were signaled out to justify the decision to extend Lahoud's mandate. "The extraordinary and exceptional conditions were cited to justify the exception, and extraordinary move of amending the constitution," the paper said. "The Syrian decision to cancel Lebanese presidential elections and impose the option of extension on the Lebanese people passed," the paper quoted presidential aspirant and Metn MP Nassib Lahoud as saying. Nassib Lahoud is the president's cousin.

The harshest attack against Lahoud, however, came from Syrian ally and Druze overlord Walid Jumblat whose three ministers in the cabinet were the only ones who opposed bluntly the decision to amend the constitution during the 15-minute meeting Saturday. Jumblat, whose progressive Socialist Party (PSP) fielded the mightiest militia for the Muslim camp during the civil strife, denounced the move of "ignoring the rules, laws and constitution." He also asked Minister of Culture Ghazi Aridi to recover the relics of his late father Kamal Jumblat from the palace of Beiteddine, the president's summer residence, and place them back in his palace of Mukhtara which he called "the home of freedom and pride." "There is no more room for coexistence between the man who died for the sake of freedom and the quarters of the military," Jumblat said in clear allusion to Lahoud, a former army commander. Jumblat has always opposed the election of a military man like Lahoud as the head of the state. "Nations only grow with freedom and respect for the human being," Jumblat added.

In the meantime, politicians were wondering about the surprise stance of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri who passed the decision in government, although he is known to be a staunch opponent of the extension-renewal option. Sources quoted in Assafir Monday said Hariri might have received guarantees from the Syrian leadership that there will be a drastic change in Lahoud's performance and dealings and that Hariri will be allowed to be a full partner, and won't be marginalized as he has been for the past two or three years. Lahoud and Hariri have always clashed over economic and administrative policies resulting in almost total paralysis of the government.

U.S. and France

The Syrian-imposed decision to extend Lahoud's mandate alarmed Washington and Paris, which have been calling for respecting the constitution and ensuring rotation of power in Lebanon. Pro-Syrian circles denounced the U.S.-European stance saying, "How can they pretend to be keen on preserving the Lebanese constitution at a time they demand the resettlement of Palestinians in Lebanon, which is totally contrary to the preface of the constitution that totally bars any resettlement of the Palestinians?" Anyway, U.S.-French coordination is increasing over Lebanon and the two Western countries are reportedly seeking to pass a resolution in the UN Security Council demanding the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and ensuring the respect of the constitution and rotation of power at all levels, from the presidential post on down, Assafir said.

In Fact, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage strongly denounced the Syrian stance on the Lebanese presidential election accusing Damascus of ignoring the will and right of the Lebanese people in choosing their leaders and representatives.

Speaking in an interview with the U.S.-financed Arabic-speaking Radio Sawa, Armitage said: "The message that is being sent by Syria is not addressed to the United States, as much as it is addressed to the people of Lebanon. It says that Damascus does not care about the Lebanese institutions and is not concerned in allowing the Lebanese people to express their views and choose the person they want. Our view in that regard is very clear and that is, Lebanon should be able to decide its future free from any foreign interference," Armitage was quoted as saying in Annahar Monday.

"We believe it is about time -- 15 years after the signing of the Taif Accord -- to implement the terms of that agreement and ensure the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon," Armitage added. He said Washington is consulting with many friends over Lebanon, including France, which has historical ties with its former colony. "We had consultations with the French because we both care very much about what is happening to the constitution of Lebanon and to its people... We also believe that in the long run such attitude by the Syrians will be detrimental and will harm Syria's interests," Armitage said.

The London-based Saudi daily ASHARQ AL AWSAT quoted a Syrian source as expressing surprise over the "sudden" U.S.-French coordination regarding the presidential election in Lebanon and their simultaneous opposition to the amendment of the constitution to bar the extension of Lahoud's mandate. The source charged that the United States was leading a campaign against Lahoud's reelection and was trying to rally European countries around it. He accused Washington and European states that stood by it over Lebanon of "blunt and direct interference in Lebanese domestic affairs, although the campaign they are leasing is to denounce the so-called foreign interference in Lebanon." The paper said Russian Ambassador in Lebanon Serguei Boukin told certain Lebanese officials that Washington had also asked Moscow to join the campaign that it is leading over Lebanon.

Sfeir's Comments

In the meantime, denunciations of the decision to extend Lahoud's mandate continued from all sides. Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir described the decision, as "unusual" saying there appears to be a race between "unusual and unknown events in Lebanon as if the country had become a soccer ball that is being kicked according to regional and international interests," Assafir reported Monday. Presidential candidate MP Boutros Harb said the post of president of the republic "has become meaningless since the Lebanese people have been deprived of the right to express their views and opinion." "They have deprived us of the right of rotation of power, because power is not the property of one person, regardless of who that person might be, with all due respect to President Emile Lahoud," Harb said.

Aoun Calls for Protests

Rebel Gen. Michel Aoun called from his exile in Paris for demonstrations, civil disobedience and protests according to an escalatory plan. "I am not surprised by what has happened, because this affirms my vision and perception of the Syrians... What I care most for is ensuring the withdrawal of the Syrian forces from Lebanon... I am not concerned with the name of the president as much as with the end of Syrian military presence in Lebanon," Aoun was quoted as saying by Assafir. MP Pierre Gemayel, in his turn said, "We will only accept the(a)r president who respects the constitution and laws. We want the presidential election to be an occasion that is based on the constitution and not an occasion to further violate that constitution and undermine national unity," Gemayel said.

Hizbullah in Favor

Only Hizbullah was in favor of amending the constitution to extend Lahoud's mandate. The group's deputy secretary general Sheikh Naim Kassem said Sunday, "the constitution will not be endangered if it is amended for the sake of re-electing the president, because it is a legitimate thing and constitutional. Besides, the choice of a president is strictly a political matter that is dictated by strategy." He said, "the president of Lebanon is requested to take into consideration several points, namely the role of the resistance and relations with Syria as well as administrative and political reforms to curb corruption and waste."