A legal manifesto for the Lebanese Cabinet: Justice for Rafik Hariri and Moussa Sadr

Last week I pleaded for a legal manifesto for Iran's Green Revolution. I am arguing this week for a judicial manifesto for the Lebanese Cabinet. I have no illusions. The turgid governmental manifesto, like the Arab League's declarations, will read as a litany of bullet points where each of the plethoric and inflated 30-some ministers will place a word, in return for allowing the other fellow minister to place his. The citizen will not recognize himself or herself in it, and I mention pointedly "her" because the country would be lucky if one or two women ministers sat in cabinet. Even then, they would be appointed only because they were the widow, sister or daughter of some male political figure wrenched away from us by age or violence. Despite its formidable female pool of talents, Lebanon continues to lag behind in that major index of democratic representation.