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Beirut Clashes Over New Cabinet

Dale Gavlak

   AMMAN - Lebanese security forces clashed with protesters in Beirut
   trying to stop a confidence vote in parliament on the new cabinet they
   say does not meet their demands, and can'tsave Lebanon from economic
   disaster.

   At least 150 people are reported injured in Tuesday confrontations. A
   chief demand of demonstrators is a government made up of technocrats
   who would not have sectarian affiliations. But some analysts say, like
   it or not, Lebanon's sectarian system is necessary, given the tiny
   Mediterranean country's diverse population that includes 18 religious
   sects.

   Lebanese security forces fired tear gas and water cannons at hundreds
   of Lebanese demonstrators descending on parliament, who were trying to
   stop a vote ushering in the new government of Prime Minister Hassan
   Diab. "No confidence," they shouted, holding Lebanese flags of red and
   white with the iconic green cedar in the center. Some demonstrators
   damaged the exterior of a bank and threw rocks at police.

   The parliamentary gathering comes amid a crippling economic and
   financial crisis -- Lebanon's worst in decades. Some protesters say
   that even if the new government is approved, it does not represent the
   majority of Lebanese who have been protesting against the political
   establishment since October.

   Swiss-Lebanese American analyst Mark Farha says while Lebanon must
   tackle a severe economic problem, including corruption, he doesn't
   agree with the demonstrations. He says in modern times, Lebanon's
   fragile sectarian system was less pronounced before the 1975 to 1990
   civil war and since has stoked divisions.

   But would getting rid of sectarianism really work?

   "In Lebanon, the problem is if you have a direct numeric democracy,
   would it really change?Would the Hezbollah voter no longer vote for
   Hezbollah?He still would, right?" Farha said. "Now in the current
   system, he or she is forced to also vote for a list Christian and a
   Sunni. They are forced to do alliances. In a case like Lebanon with
   these divisions, it might exacerbate the problem."

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