Here comes "Le General"
General Aoun has just accomplished a very rare feat in Lebanon's political life. He peacefully turned the tables on the power that is.(the Joumblatt Hariri and Kornet Sehwan coalition)
Aoun swept all the seat in the first two constituency of Mount Lebanon, toppling most of the other Christian figures. And he almost won an impossible victory in Baabda-alley, the third constituency which is considered one of Walid Joumblatt private fiefdoms.
General Aoun has just entered the very exclusive club of Lebanese factions that control the parliament (in addition to the Hariri, Joumblatt, Hezballah and Nabih Berries bloc's) and completely changed the Lebanese political arena.
One of the most striking changes due to Aoun's victory, is that no one will be able to outset Emile Lahoud, the current pro-Syrian President, from office after the election. Not even the once mighty Hariri-Joumblatt alliance.
For General Aoun has repeatedly declared that he will not accept the removal of the Maronite President. And now, after his victory, Aoun and his parliamentary bloc have the means to obstruct any parliamentary motion to remove the president from his office.
Another consequence is the sounding political defeat befallen Joumblatt and his ally Saad Hariri. The great majority they thought they will get (more than 80 MP) has evaporated. And their Christian allied faction (Kornet Shehwan) is now officially dead. They are now left with only with Nabih Berri and Hezbollah. And their prospects for a clear victory in the north are diminishing by the hour, especially after the reconciliation of Sleiman Frangieh and Omar Karame and their alliance with General Aoun.
General Aoun has accomplished in these elections what Bashir Gmayial did with political assassination. He has become the uncontested Christian political leader, with influence that transcends the many confessional barriers.
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posted by BOB @ 8:12 PM
2 Comments:
I suspect you may be over-simplifying things a little.
Yes, Qornet Shehwen did not win the popularity vote, but that does not mean they have no popularity anymore overnight. All are still widely respected and some still have political parties which they head/represent.
Besides, lets not forget that the LFPM was never represented in parliament and still retained large popular support.
Aoun is proving more popular yes, but he by no means has a monopoly on Christian reprsentation like Jumblat or Hariri do in their respective sects.
Well if you argue that although Aoun has a large Christian base of support , but no monopoly the same can be argued for Hariri or Joumblatt. For example you have Salim Hoss, and Omar Karameh as alternative poles in the Sunnite street and Talal Arslan in the Druze street.
However what I was referring too is representation. And Aoun has become the main, if not only, Christian force with an effective representation in the political arena.
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