Lebanon's Continuing Lack of a Government

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman may not get to take representatives of the government along when/if he attends the UN General Assembly this month, since Lebanon still has no Cabinet. Yes, the election was almost three months ago.

There's a useful AFP summation in today's Daily Star, updating the state of play. The Lebanese habit of blaming their neighbors is evident, though in this case their neighbors (especially Syria and Saudi Arabia) really are the issue. (Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.) (Also see this piece — now over a week old but still useful since little has changed — by Michael Young on the subject.

Now, there are countries that can tick along quite nicely while trying to form a complex coalition government: the Netherlands say, or Italy now and again. Lebanon, not so much. There are critical issues pending, and Suleiman wants to attend the UN, but the prospects are not very bright.

I miss Elias Muhanna, who blogs as Qifa Nabki and is in a temporary hiatus from the blog as he returns to his Harvard studies. He is generally able to bring a Lebanese sense of humor to the theater of Lebanese politics.