First
it was Michel Aoun, now it's Samir Geagea. The recent
parliamentary attempt to raise the issue of the release
of Samir Geagea, head of the dismantled Lebanese Forces,
from jail met the same fate as Aoun's return. This,
after Prime Minister Rafic Hariri's initiative to Aoun,
which promised the latter immunity from being tried
upon his return, was aborted by accusations of Aoun
having embezzled public funds.
These developments seem to show that the time is not
yet ripe for either case, despite promises made during
parliamentary elections to work towards Aoun's return
and Geagea's release. Several elections candidates had,
in fact, made the two issues part of their campaign
and were met with a consenting public opinion.
But
the government, Syria and its allies do not seem in
favor. The question that poses itself is whether the
initiative of 10 members of parliament to amend the
amnesty law will meet the same fate as House Speaker
Nabih Berri's Bkirki initiative or Hariri's Aoun initiative.
The
efforts of the MPs and Bkirki were slammed by Health
Minister Suleiman Franjieh, who criticized that the
issue was brought forth without his consent. Franjieh
blames Geagea for the Ehden massacre of 1978, in which
more than 30 people died, including his father, former
MP Toni Franjieh, his wife and daughter, and tens
of their supporters. Franjieh called on the families
of the Ehden victims to stage demonstrations in Bkirki.
Talks were later made between Franjieh and the Patriarch
which canceled the manifestations and a crisis which
could have occured between them.
The
file was put on hold, in the meantime, until the time
becomes right.
