Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BEIRUT917
2009-08-14 13:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: CAN SLEIMAN MUSCLE DECENTRALIZATION?

Tags:  PGOV PINR LE 
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VZCZCXRO3832
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #0917 2261338
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 141338Z AUG 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5539
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3539
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4070
RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 000917 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR IO A/S BRIMMER
P FOR DRUSSELL, RRANGASWAMY
DRL/NESA FOR WHITMAN, BARGHOUT
PARIS FOR JMILLER
USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER
NSC FO SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT
DOD/OSD FOR FLOURNOY/KAHL/DATON
OVP FOR HMUSTAFA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/019
TAGS: PGOV PINR LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: CAN SLEIMAN MUSCLE DECENTRALIZATION?

REF: BEIRUT 00878

Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 000917

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR IO A/S BRIMMER
P FOR DRUSSELL, RRANGASWAMY
DRL/NESA FOR WHITMAN, BARGHOUT
PARIS FOR JMILLER
USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER
NSC FO SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT
DOD/OSD FOR FLOURNOY/KAHL/DATON
OVP FOR HMUSTAFA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/019
TAGS: PGOV PINR LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: CAN SLEIMAN MUSCLE DECENTRALIZATION?

REF: BEIRUT 00878

Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, moving forward on
his August 1 Army Day calls for constitutional reforms and
full implementation of Taif, convened in early August a small
meeting of municipal leaders to discuss decentralization.
Although the president appears serious in his efforts to push
such reforms, some municipal leaders, including Sidon mayor
Abed Bizri, question whether the president has the political
muscle to adopt measures, such as administrative
decentralization, that would directly threaten the interests
of Lebanon's "political elite." End summary.

NOT JUST TALK ...
--------------


2. (C) President Michel Sleiman has repeatedly called for
government reform, including in his August 1 Army Day speech
(reftel),and has said that the incoming parliament and
yet-to-be-formed cabinet should implement the many
outstanding political, administrative, and judicial reforms.
Sleiman has met with various groups to discuss reform
implementation, including with a small cross-section of
municipal leaders from the country's larger municipalities to
address decentralization in early August.

... BUT ENOUGH MUSCLE?
--------------


3. (C) Mayor of Sidon Abed Bizri, one of eight mayors present
at the early August meeting, assessed that although Sleiman
was "enthusiastic" about decentralization, he lacked adequate
political authority to move the issue forward. Lebanon has
no true social contract, Bizri told Poloff August 12.
Instead of looking to the state for services and protection,
citizens sought favors from local "zaims" (feudal leaders).
Bizri confirmed that as mayor, he granted ten to sixty such
favors each day. Decentralization would threaten larger
sectarian leaders but would also cut sharply into the support
of parliamentarians, present in their districts only during
election season.

COMMENT
--------------


4. (C) Although decentralization has become a popular
conversation topic in recent months, with President Sleiman
and caretaker Minister of Interior Ziad Baroud publicly
backing the reform, an actionable path forward is still
unclear. Administrative legal issues -- including empowering
municipalities to make decisions without pre-approval by the
central government but also allowing them to tax citizens for
services provided -- need to be addressed. The biggest
question, however, remains whether Lebanon's political elite,
who have the most to lose in any redistribution of authority,
will throw their weight behind this reform. End comment.

SISON