Hariri stages dramatic comeback in Lebanese politics

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Only two months ago, state-run television denounced Rafik Hariri as a corrupt politician and likened him to a Mafia boss in campaign ads in which the theme from "The Godfather" played in the background.

Today, the dynamic billionaire businessman is back as Lebanon's prime minister two years after being ousted by a man who now will have to work with him, President Emile Lahoud.

Lebanon is counting on Hariri to employ his expertise and vast international contacts to deal with an ailing economy. He also will have to lead when peace in the Middle East seems more distant than at any other time in the past decade.

Along with allies, Hariri trounced veteran Prime Minister Salim Hoss and candidates supported by Lahoud in summer parliamentary elections, stunning political pundits with the scope of the victory.

Lahoud, who feuded with the former prime minister for the last two years, had no choice but to appoint him to form the next Cabinet after an overwhelming majority of legislators in the 128-member Parliament threw their lot behind Hariri. Lahoud named Hariri in a statement issued by his office Monday.

The deciding vote came from neighboring Syria, with whom Hariri currently maintains good relations after a rocky period two years ago. His standing with Damascus further improved when his son and three other Saudi partners invested $100 million in construction and real estate projects in Syria in June.

Lahoud, who also has the support of Syria, thrice met with Syrian President Bashar Assad on the sidelines of the Arab summit in Cairo on Saturday and Sunday. The Lahoud-Hariri duo will continue to guard Syria's interests in Lebanon, where it has maintained "peacekeeping" troops since Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war.

Relations between Lahoud and Hariri have improved in recent weeks and their continued cooperation is necessary for the smooth running of government.

Hariri, who made his fortune in construction in Saudi Arabia, is also a Saudi citizen and is close to the royal family of the oil-rich and influential kingdom. His return to power is certain to help attract Arab investors from the oil-rich Gulf.

No doubt, Hariri's task is daunting.

"I feel the heavy burden of responsibility as of this moment," the 56-year-old said Monday after accepting the appointment.

In addition to restoring investor confidence, especially among Gulf Arabs, Hariri has to face the monsters that haunted his previous 1992-1998 tenure: a budget deficit near 40 percent a year, a snowballing national debt of $22 billion and a political system based on religious loyalties and political nepotism that has drained the treasury over the years.

Also, Hariri will have to deal with the Middle East crisis. Renewed tension on the Lebanese-Israeli border was sparked by the capture of four Israelis by Hezbollah guerrillas earlier this month after nearly five months of calm since Israeli troops withdrew from southern Lebanon. Continuing Palestinian-Israeli clashes could affect regional stability.

The last time he was in power, Hariri antagonized many with his flamboyant lifestyle. He once hauled home a million dollars worth of the Persian carpets after a visit to Iran.

His opponents also accused him of channeling lucrative contracts for state business to his cronies.

In the two years since his downfall, he has accused authorities of staging a witch hunt against him and his opponents. Some political allies and subordinates were arrested on charges of corruption, but there were no trials.

In the runup to the election in August and September, the government's anti-Hariri campaign climaxed with ads on state-run television accusing him of paying bribes and financing civil war militias.

Hariri fought back by capitalizing on popular anger over continued economic decline and the rise of the military's influence in politics under Lahoud, a former army commander. Hariri molded together unlikely political alliances to defeat government-backed candidates.

Voters remembered Hariri's multibillion-dollar reconstruction plan and the prosperity it brought.

Pierre Helou, a newly elected Christian legislator who had been an opponent of Hariri's previous governments, said he endorsed the prime minister this time despite some reservations.

"We hope that the style will change," he told reporters after meeting with the president Monday.

"We have been promised this. Inshallah (God willing)."

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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