The US backed anti-Syria March 14th movement led by Lebanese billionaire Saad Hariri (pictured above) won 71 seats for a majority in the 128 seat Lebanese parliamentary elections yesterday over Hezbollah. They will attempt to form a government based on that 7 seat majority.
This being Lebanon, the election could basically be said to be a victory of Sunni Muslim, Druse, and Christian factions over the Shiite Muslim factions of Hezbollah and Amal. Hezbollah's main Christian ally, Syrian tool Michel Aoun failed to tear crucial votes away from Christian allies of Hariri like the right-wing Phalangists.
Hariri is the son of ex-Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in a car-bomb attack in 2005. According to the UN tribunal established to investigate, top level Syrian officials with close ties to Syrian dictator Basher Assad pulled the trigger, aided by Hezbollah.
While this has been trumpeted as a triumph for democracy,it's important to remember that this is Lebanon.
While Hezbollah says that it will respect the results of the election, Sheik Nasrallah said they plan to retain their arms as 'the prime army of the resistance.'
Hezbollah and its allies won enough seats so that a coalition government will have to be negotiated, and they still have Hezbollah ally Michel Suleiman in the presidency.
You might also recall what happened to March 14th's parliamentary majority the last time, as it was whittled down to a mere two seats by the simple expedient of killing off its members of parliament. Rest assured this kind of electoral politics Hezbollah-style is very much in the minds of the members of the new majority in parliament.
1 comment:
Elections in Lebanon have always been more than what a normal election decides. A normal election decides who will rule the country but Lebanon elections is more of a deciding factor in supremacy in the region between - Iran and US/France. This time West has gained a upper hand.
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