Blaming Lebanese politicians for the absence of UN General Assembly members

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It is a sad and ridiculous idea that Lebanon lost its right to vote in the United Nations General Assembly and did not pay its annual dues.

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Yet while some Lebanese may feel a sense of loss or nostalgia for the country’s past role at the UN, it is disheartening to see politicians treating the suspension of voting rights with a bizarre and pretentious sense of urgency.

Why?

On the same day that the loss of voting rights was reported, the Lebanese parliament failed in its 11th session to elect a new president. The Speaker of the House is holding parliament hostage, insisting on a two-thirds quorum to proceed with subsequent ballots, despite no article in the Lebanese constitution that refers to this quorum requirement. This amounts to depriving the Lebanese deputies of their right to elect a president.

It is absurd for the political elite to focus on Lebanon’s right to vote in the United Nations General Assembly. At the same time, the Speaker of the House deliberately deprives MPs of their right to elect a Speaker.

Lebanon has become accustomed to living under successive constitutional vacuums, and the current vacancy of the presidency and the interim government in place only adds to this. If the political deadlock persists, there could be additional voids in the governance of the Banque du Liban and the leadership of the army.

A semi-failed state ruled by a terrorist militia risks losing its UN membership, let alone its right to vote in the General Assembly.

Notably, Lebanon has never complied with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, particularly Resolution 1701. Besides the Lebanese government’s failure to disarm Hezbollah and other armed groups, Lebanon continues to violating the arms embargo imposed by the UNSC and has failed to take any meaningful action to exercise control over its borders and prevent the flow of arms.

It was these weapons that a few weeks ago killed an Irish peacekeeper from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) while on routine patrol in an area controlled by Hezbollah.

It is absurd to suggest that Lebanon, which regularly belittles and scorns an international organization, should strive to become a fully active member of that organization.

Lebanese politicians have much to learn from the humility and leadership of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who resigned from her post this month, saying she no longer has enough resources to do (the work) justice. She pointed out that with such a privileged role as a PM comes the responsibility of knowing when someone is the right person to lead and also when you are not.

Lebanon’s membership in the UN and its right to vote in the General Assembly are a responsibility, not a matter of reputation or national ego. The importance of a country on the international scene should be measured by its capacity to bear the burden of this right, and not by its mere capacity to exercise it. Lebanon unfortunately fails to do both under its current political elite.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the authors in this section are their own and do not reflect the views of Al Arabiya English.

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