Whither the Republic of Lebanon President Michel Suleiman’s first year in office June 2009 | 83 International College “A Tradition of Excellence” The Monthly meets Mr. Joham Verkammen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium issue number www.iimonthly.com • Published by Information International sal Elections, Drugs and Public Debt 2009 Elections Forecast Drugs Protected & Spreading Public Debt $2.9 billion (1992) $48 billion (2009) Lebanon 5,000LL | Saudi Arabia 15SR | UAE 15DHR | Jordan 2JD| Syria 75SYP | Iraq 3,500IQD | Kuwait 1.5KD | Qatar 15QR | Bahrain 2BD | Oman 2OR | Yemen 15YRI | Egypt 10EP | Europe 5Euros 2 iNDEX PAGE PAGE 4 Electoral law, results, blocs and elections forecast 35 Between Yesterday and Today LEADER 12 Drugs in Lebanon 36 Lebanon’s MPs Cultivation, traffickingand and Lebanese its spread among youth Parliamentary Elections 1960 - 2009 18 Public debt at USD 48 billion 37 From the series of 20 President Michel Suleiman’s first “Children Entertaining Stories”* year in office 38 Myth #24 21 Whither the Republic of Lebanon: Alexander, worshipper or fighter? Amnesty for drug crimes 39 Jumblatt and Syria 22 Violation of Civil Rights and Duties 40 Release of the four generals: 23 Salt Production End of one phase, beginning of another 24 Syndicate of Petroleum Companies Workers and 42 International Media Employees in Lebanon Iran’s ‘New Proposal’ & The USA 26 International College 44 Karm Al Muhr 28 Lebanese International University 45 Harb families 30 The Monthly meets Mr. 46 Education Enrollment in the Arab Joham Verkammen, World Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium 47 Real Estate Index: April 2009 32 High Blood Pressure by Dr. Hanna Saadah 48 Consumer Price Index April 2009 33 Why do we read? by Antoine Boutros 50 Did You Know That? by Dr. Hanna Saadah 34 Lebanon: its geography and people by Hassan Salameh Sarkis 50 Beirut RaficHariri International Airport, April 2009 issue 83 - published by Information International s.a.l. 3 Editorial Madeleine Albright, the leaders of Lebanon, and the banality of evil t has been said that the heart of Rome was not in the marble of its Senate, but in the dust of its coliseum or fighting arenas. The Isubject of concern today is the arena of parliamentary elections in Lebanon, and the international observers or ‘referees’ that have been delegated to monitor this election. We have elected ‘war lords’, or more accurately ‘war criminals’ to office, rewarding them with legitimacy as a prize for killing ‘the other’ on our behalf. Should we add up the number of victims killed by these ‘emperors or quasi-emperors’, either directly or by proxy, the numbers would be very high, and yet more staggering when foreign powers are involved. To elaborate on this point, let us all remember the following conversation that took place on CBS’s 60 Minutes on May 12, 1996: Lesly Stahl: “We have heard that half a million Iraqi children died. This is more than those who died in Hiroshima ... Is that price worth it? ...” Madeleine Albright: “It is a difficult choice.... But we believe that it is worth the price.” It is therefore befitting that such observers monitor such an election, conducted in accordance with an appalling electoral law that only fosters polarization. Let us not forget that many of those observers have approved the1996 elections that were boycotted by a large segment of society, and also the 2005 elections, that were conducted under tragic and dubious circumstances, judging them as ‘fair and impartial’. Ruthless was Rome, but more chivalrous. Today, the “killings” are by proxy, through the ballot box and under regional and international auspices. Maybe we deserve it. But are these leaders and observers really so bad? Of course not, they are human. Like us ordinary people, they have their families and their stories of joy and tears. Look at Bill Clinton, George Bush, Tony Blair and Condoleezza Rice and most recently, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who had ‘a conscience revival experience’, just like Kofi Annan did before him. They play music, dance, joke and travel. They are only human. Humans that find themselves caught in a Hobbsian machine, executing orders that cause the plight of millions without a blink of an eye. They have only their vanity to celebrate. Sometimes they shed words of wisdom and worthless tears. They are only human and pathetically so. They are a living proof of Hannah Arendt’s thesis on the “banality of evil”. This banality is further illustrated by the Arab League’s participation in this charade by sending their observers as well. issue 83 - June 2009 4 | Leader Parliamentary Elections Electoral law, results, blocs and elections forecast Parliamentary Electoral Law Aids to Associations Ambiguity and Inconsistencies open door to 1VSTVBOU UP UIF QSPWJTJPOT PG "SUJDMF PG UIF &MFDUPSBM vain contestations -BX DBOEJEBUFTBSFCBOOFEEVSJOHUIFFMFDUJPOQFSJPEGSPN The coming parliamentary elections based on Parliamentary PGGFSJOH TFSWJDFT JOLJOE PG GJOBODJBM BJET PS EPOBUJPOT UP Electoral Law number 25 of October 8, 2008. encompass JOEJWJEVBMT DIBSJUBCMF BOE TQPSUT PSHBOJ[BUJPOT XJUIJO UIF several ambiguous and confusing provisions. This has DBOEJEBUFT FMFDUPSBM DPOTUJUVFODZ )PXFWFS JG DIBSJUJFT led to different interpretations and raises the probability PXOFEPSSVOCZDBOEJEBUFTIBWFEPOBUFENPOFZPOBSFHVMBS of contesting the deputyship of any elected member. 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