Lebanese presidential candidate campaigns from Robertson Hall

By Namita Biala
Princetonian Contributor

Many Wilson School professors propose sweeping changes to government policies. Visiting professor Chibli Mallat may actually get to implement some.

Mallat, a former lawyer, writer and human rights activist, is running for president of Lebanon. The election is set for 2007, when current president Emile Lahoud's term ends.

"We need to start a new logic in the region ... based on nonviolence," Mallat said in an interview.

Mallat was an integral player in Lebanon's Cedar Revolution, a wave of activism in 2005 triggered by the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

The activists, who suspected Syrian involvement in the assassination, called for Lahoud's ouster and the end of Syrian control of Lebanese politics. Syria, Lebanon's much larger neighbor to the east, maintained troops in Lebanon until March 2005.

Mallat also helped to found Indict, an organization dedicated to trying former members of the Iraqi regime on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. After the U.S. occupation of Iraq began, Mallat served as an adviser during the constitution-writing process in that country.

Though Mallat had not previously pursued a position in parliament because he felt he would be "hemmed in by Syrian power," he sees the current race as an opportunity to institute a transparent democracy in Lebanon, free from Syrian influence. Recent polls, he said, show that half of the Lebanese population wants a change in leadership.
The current deadlock in Lebanon, where parts of the government remain pro-Syria, likely contributed to the escalation of this summer's conflict with Israel and the needless civilian deaths, Mallat said. Though Hezbollah was unjustified in its kidnapping of Israeli soldiers — "There's a need to speak the truth to Hezbollah," he said — he also opposed the war that ensued.

If elected, Mallat would attempt to reform Lebanon's current political system, which requires that certain government positions be held by members of the country's major religions. The presidency, for example, is always held by Maronite Christian. Though this system has "deep roots in the nation's history," Mallat said, it "defeats merit."

Instead, Mallat proposes popular elections that are "less sectarian." He would like his cabinet, however, to have a quota of women.

"Women have always played a prominent role in my campaign," he said.

Among his other goals are improving civilian quality of life and rooting out economic corruption. "This is best done by example rather than coercion," he said, arguing that active promotion of fair practices would be more effective than harsh fines.

Mallat, who has previously taught at St. Joseph's University in Beirut, the University of London and Yale Law School, calls Princeton a "safety valve," a place where he can improve his international contacts and make a "decisive drive" for the presidency.

Currently studying an ancient Islamic law tablet held at Firestone Library, Mallat will teach courses next semester on the politics of the Middle East and Islamic law.