(Extract)
PM SINIORA's ADDRESS TO THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS
NOVEMBER 21, 2006
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are here today, one hundred days after the cessation of hostilities, to give you an overview of this government's efforts in terms of recovery and reconstruction, made possible with the support of your countries through direct pledges and at the Stockholm Conference.
I need not repeat nor recount in detail the human suffering and enormity of the damage done to our infrastructure and social fabric, the consequences of which will be felt for many years to come. The upcoming presentation will provide you with all the facts and figures. No country is ever really prepared to face a catastrophe of the proportions of the one we faced this summer. Nevertheless, and despite some unjustified and unfair criticism, we are determined to perform our duty and address all the post-war economic, social, humanitarian issues which face us, and to stress that our government has done, and is continuing to do - in close collaboration with all the involved civil, political and non-governmental entities - everything in its power to ensure the rapid and efficient rehabilitation of our infrastructure and to help kick start our shell-shocked economy.
In the first one hundred days:
First, We successfully launched an innovative sponsorship program whereby individual, institutional and state donors can contribute to specific community projects such as villages, schools, homes, hospitals, bridges and the like, in a cost-effective and transparent manner. Such projects directly involve the donor while respecting due process and good governance, and provide the community with a permanent reminder of the donor's care and generosity.
Second, We have so far received USD 813 million out of almost USD 2 billion pledged.
Third, We have drafted legislation to speed up the economic recovery process and help the war ravaged institutions to overcome the direct and indirect damages of the war which will soon be proposed to Parliament.
Fourth,We have repaired water facilities, bridges, schools, roads, hospitals, electricity and telecommunication networks, airport runways & fuel tanks, cleared 1.7 million cu.m of debris & started cleaning up the oil spill.
Fifth, We have started disbursing assistance to citizens whose houses have been partially or totally destroyed in 64 villages in the South & West Bekaa, totaling LBP 64 billion. The government has also started disbursing assistance to residents of the Beirut Southern Suburbs, fishermen, families of the deceased and the wounded.
Here, I would like to express our sincere thanks to all of those who put in so much effort to make all this possible and help bring peoples' lives back to normal: to the ministries, the governmental bodies and Councils, the Higher Relief Commission, the local and international NGO's and institutions, the donors, the many volunteers and civil society at large.
Lebanon is exhausted by 30 years of successive conflicts, occupations and external interference. Despite its resilience, it can no longer afford the cost of destruction on its own and looks towards the international community for support. The Government remains fully committed to its program of reforms, with re-phasing of some of its components due to the circumstances precipitated by the war. However, it will fail to achieve sustained and equitable growth and debt sustainability in the absence of a sizeable frontloaded program of external support. In light of the recent events and with the enormous social needs in the country, failure to achieve these objectives could well jeopardize its broader goals of political and social stability and a strong democracy. I will not tire of reminding you all that the failure of democracy in Lebanon would have dire consequences far beyond its borders. I am therefore hopeful that the international community will be forthcoming in its support for Lebanon and all it stands for in the region, and I look forward to the success of the Arab and International conference for the support of Lebanon to be held in Paris at the end of January 2007.
Another major national goal of the government is to translate the cessation of hostilities into a permanent cease fire, whereby Israel must put an end to its over flights over Lebanon, submit all the maps of landmines planted on our territory, withdraw from the Ghajar village, and return the detainees held in Israeli prisons. We are strongly urging the international community to help us achieve this goal. As a constant reminder of the brutality and indiscriminate nature of Israel's latest aggression, the casualty toll continues to rise daily as a result of the hundreds of thousands of cluster bombs unleashed by Israel this last summer.
I cannot repeat enough the importance of placing the Shebaa Farms under UN custody, thereby allowing Lebanon to reaffirm the exclusive authority of the state over the entirety of its territory and reviving the 1949 armistice agreement, until a final and just solution to the conflict in the Middle East is found.
I did not intend by inviting you here today to appear oblivious to the political impasse we are facing. But times of crisis are also times of truth; times to ask the right questions and make the right choices: do the Lebanese want an open, pluralistic, democratic Lebanon? Do we want a progressive and growing economy able to raise the living standards of the Lebanese people and stem poverty? Do we want to drive our youth away, or rather make them feel that they have a role and a future in their own country? Do we want to create opportunities and hope for future generations, or offer them the prospect of unemployment, despair and emigration? Do we want to tell people the truth or just pound them with provocative but empty slogans?
I am positive that the majority of our people want to live in dignity and tranquility in a free, sovereign, independent Lebanon; a Lebanon that is part of and a beacon to the Arab world. It is our duty to continue to work with determination to fulfill this goal with full respect for open democratic principles.
We in Lebanon need to redefine the concept of governing and the meaning of public service. The cycle of action and counter action will only increase tension and further divide our country. Let us pursue common interests and think of common goals, not those which will favor one group over the other, but those which will benefit all Lebanese. What we need is open and frank dialogue, consistent with democratic principles and the rule of law. Dialogue is the only way to bridge mistrust and settle differences. Our fifteen months in this coalition government is living proof that we can all work together, in harmony, and by consensus, for the good of our country; it also serves as a reminder that while we could have taken decisions unilaterally, we always reassured our partners in government that we have not done so. We simply do not believe that unilateralism works in Lebanon. National cohesion is important, particularly when parts of our country are still under occupation. Our strength is in our diversity and should remain so. It must not become the cause of discord and conflict. We must cultivate our strengths, not succumb to our weaknesses. Furthermore, it is of paramount importance that we protect Lebanon's national interests, and not try to solve regional and international conflicts on our soil nor become an arena for the conflicts of others.
It is in this spirit that our government, the government for all the Lebanese, functions. In the midst of talking about majorities and minorities, let us remember that there is a silent majority out there which has tired of slogans, does not want to be intimidated or taken to the streets to confront their fellow citizens. They would rather live in peace and work for their future, the future of their children and of their country.
We must not lose yet another opportunity for our country to break out of the cycle of discord and economic stagnation and into a brighter world of progress, prosperity and peace.
This is our clear message. This is our guiding vision. This is how in 100 days the Lebanese have reaffirmed their will for life. Let us not ignore this message, nor should we continue to test the resilience of the Lebanese. We have had enough turbulence in our history; we cannot afford repeating our mistakes before drawing the right conclusions.