The Veteran And The Neophyte

Two political opponents are thawing the ice. One is doing it better than the other.

Opposition leader Nabih Berri and Majority leader Saad Hariri are starting to negotiate to choose the next Lebanese President. Only yesterday, they met three times, including once for the traditional Ramadan dawn meal of Sou7our.

They appeared comfortable with each other and this shouldn’t surprise us: Any negotiation professional will tell you that it is crucial to convey a sense of goodwill from the start to establish a working business relationship.

But the keyword here is “business relationship”, which Mr. Hariri -judging from most pictures of his night-time meeting with his foe- seems to be confusing with chumminess. The two have to convey the message that they are foes who have to work together, not long-lost lovers who finally met, and this is where Mr. Berri is doing a better job.

The body language of the above picture is telling: When the experienced Berri posed for the photo, he made sure he kept his shoulders and his eyes facing the camera and his hands firmly on the chair, all while sporting an obviously diplomatic smile. Mr. Hariri’s posture on the other hand (toothy grin, shoulders and eyes facing opponent) conveyed too much trust and friendliness, something that his supporters will feel subtley betrayed and bothered by.