LEBANON: No government, no worries

Lebanese lawmakers have delayed for a seventh time since Sept. 25 the naming of a president. They're set to convene Tuesday when they may work on changing the constitution to allow army chief Michel Suleiman to become president and name a new government.

Former President Emile Lahoud left his post last month, and for two weeks the Lebanese have been regularly grumbling that, for the first time in their history since independence, they don't have a president. In the clip below a video artist colors the cedar tree in Lebanon's flag black instead of gren. "Let's fill the void," the caption reads, urging politicians from rival camps to put aside their differences and name a president.

After Lahoud's term ended last month, Lebanese quickly realized that much-feared fighting beween Iranian and Syrian-backed factions and the U.S.-supported government would not start any time soon. At least momentarily, the feuding parties appear to have agreed to keep the situation calm.

The announcement that all sides supported Suleiman as a compromise was met with great relief, but continued squabbling has prevented the finalization of his election.

On Friday the parliamentary session to elect the president was put off yet again. The French foreign minister, designated as a "baby-sitter" by Lebanese blogger Rapio, left empty-handed after several attempts to broker a deal.

Even if Suleiman is named, political haggling will continue. Blogger Beirut Spring writes, "The battle is not over yet and we still have the nitty-gritty of the formation of the next government to worry about."

But though all this raises the specter of a gloomy future, the present seems to be fine. After minutes of sour observations on Lebanon's barren politics, casual conversations here often swiftly move on to  more cheery subjects.

After days of  precipitation, people are rubbing their hands with glee at the idea that the coming skiing season is going to be long and thriving. Christmas trees and ornaments adorn malls, restaurants and homes and the unbearably congested roads are just a sign that the gift-buying season has kicked off.

Just try and book a table for New Year's Eve at the Music Hall, one of Beirut's hottest night spots. You will be politely told that admission ranges from $250 to $450 a person, and you'll be put on the waiting list.

On the Lebanon stop of their comedy tour, The Axis of Evil, a group of American stand-up comedians of Middle Eastern descent, pointed out that Lebanon's political crisis did not seem to squelch the country's festive spirit. 

"Who need's a president? You've got the sea. You've got the mountains. You've got Miss Lebanon. A president would just mess things up," Maz Jobrani, the  Iranian-American in the group, told the audience at the Lebanon Casino. "Tonight we party!"

—  Raed Rafei in Beirut

Art: "Enough!" a man cries, his mouth in the shape of Lebanon, which has been locked in a political crisis for more than a year. Credit: Al Hayat, Dec. 9, 2007