Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun formally unveiled a political alliance with his one-time pro-Syrian rivals, in a bid to weaken leading opposition figure Walid Jumblatt in what is expected to be the main electoral battle of Lebanon's crucial polls. With much at stake in the Baabda-Aley district of Mount Lebanon, which is made up of Maronites, Druze and Shiite voters, both Aoun and Jumblatt have sought the backing of pro-Syrian forces, each hoping to trump the other and gain extra seats in the new Parliament. Jumblatt's list in Baabda-Aley, which is also backed by pro-Syrian groups, in his case Hizbullah, is expected to be announced in the next 24 hours. But the resistance group is also supporting Aoun's candidates in Kesrouan-Jbeil and Zahle districts in addition to being aligned with Amal, and Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party and Hariri's Future Movement in the Western Bekaa. This latest round of dealmaking between political parties was sharply criticized by the influential Maronite Christian Bishops' Council, which said: "The chaos within the ranks that we are seeing indicates a neglect of national principles and a lack of clarity of options." It added Lebanon's elections had been "transformed into a competition of interests and personal rivalries."
| From here it looks like the oligarchs are doing some fairly significant realigning. But watching sausage being made is more appetizing and easier to follow. |