Would any of the absolute rulers or dictators in the Middle East appoint a former public official charged with squandering tens (and perhaps hundreds) of millions of dollars of public funds to any new position in government despite the ongoing indictment proceedings pending against him? Would Bashar Assad do it? Would King Fahad do it? Would the worst Banana Republic administration do it? Would a tribal ruler in the deep African jungle do it?

The answer is obviously no!

So why did President Lahoud and Prime Minister Hariri do it, i. e. appoint Fouad Siniora to the Finance Ministry?

Is it because they believe him to be innocent? But the decision is not theirs on the matter of guilt and innocence. The general assumption continues to be that there is a system of justice in Lebanon that has jurisdiction over such matters. Is it fair or possible then to accuse the two highest officers of the republic of taking the law into their own hands on this one? And even if they believe in the Siniora innocence, can they not wait until he is exonerated by the system?

Or is it because Mr. Hariri continues to behave as if he were the Supreme Being of Lebanon. Such symptom of undue arrogance is hard to understand from someone who aspires to be his country’s leader.

Or is president Lahoud, who seems to have accepted Mr. Hariri grudgingly, pleased to see the new prime minister commence his assignment on the wrong foot?

Or perhaps it is the invisible Syrian hand that encouraged Mr. Lahoud and Mr. Hariri to take this bad step in order to make them both ever more dependent on Syria for their future?

The appointment of Siniora is shameful. It has pushed public confidence in the government of Lebanon and its leaders into a new low. The negative consequences are even more apparent internationally where the new government aims to borrow more big money. Whatever remaining image is gone. Lebanon has entered a new stage of lawlessness in disregard of the most elementary rules of good governance and public conduct. It is such a big shame.