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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Aoun headed for win in Lebanon vote

2005-06-13

Polling stations in Lebanon have closed with initial results showing former general Michel Aoun winning fierce electoral battles against rival anti-Syrian opposition groups in key districts. At stake in the third round of parliamentary elections are 35 seats representing the central Mount Lebanon district and another 23 for the eastern Bekaa Valley. Preliminary results indicate a sweeping victory for electoral tickets backed by Aoun in Mount Lebanon's mainly Christian Kesrwan-Byblos and Upper Metn districts. Aoun, a former general who spent 14 years in exile in France following a failed "war of liberation" against Syrian troops in 1989, returned to Lebanon on 7 May, shortly after Syrian forces withdrew from the country.

Counts conducted in 278 of 336 polling stations in Kesrwan-Byblos showed that Aoun maintained a substantial lead over opponent candidates, winning at least 55,000 votes. Opposition alliance candidate Mansour al-Bon, was trailing with 27,000 votes by the latest count. Aoun's list comprises prominent pro-Syrian politicians including Druze leader Talal Erslan in the Baabda-Aley district, former minister Elias Skaff in the Bekaa's Zahle district and former interior minister Suleiman Franjieh, who will be running in the last round of elections in the north next week. A coalition of Christian groups, including the Christian Lebanese Forces, headed by jailed Christian leader Samir Geagea, and Christian Qornet Shehwan Gathering, embraced by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, ran against Aoun's ticket in the Kesrwan-Byblos district. Other members of the coalition included the Phalange Reform Movement, headed by former President Amin Gemayel and the Future Movement, headed by Saad al-Hariri. In the Upper Metn, the list backed by Aoun and pro-Syrian former interior minister Michel Murr also won with only one seat going to an opponent candidate, MP Pierre Gemayel of the Phalange Reform Movement.

Posted by:Fred

#4 Lebanons the ME of the ME. They factions within bathrooms.

Posted by: Shipman 2005-06-13 16:06

#3 I wish I understood all of the underlying connections, loyalties, rivalries, et al, but I don't.

Personally, I don't trust any of the players who've been around long enough to remember pre-Syrian Lebanon. Warlord Wally and Aoun both strike me as an almost guaranteed return to the old chaos. Hariri - or somebody new on the political scene who isn't an Iranian toady or a Syrian toady (same thing, prolly) and hasn't made his bones by killing members of the other factions is needed. Someone who can put the past behind and pull the Lebanese together - and convince them to throw off all of the ancient baggage.

Of course, assuming Hariri was something along that line or near enough, anyway, there's no wonder he was killed.

Can it still be done? I don't know. Is there anyone left who could do it if it were possible? I don't know. The ethnic, religious, tribal, yadda3 differences, all trivial and pointless in reality, are insanely magnified by certain societies. Lebanon is doomed until someone can pull it off. This is truly sad. A golden opportunity will likely be missed here.

Posted by: .com 2005-06-13 10:21

#2 boy, does Aoun ever have guys around here taken. From what Ive seen, this guy turned and cut a deal with the pro-Syrian groups, and deliberately divided the opposition - note he went against Gemayel, Geagea, Hariri (the son) as well as Jumblatt. Aoun fought the Syrians in '89 - with the backing of none other than Saddam Hussein. Y'all may not like Wally cause of antiUS things he said and did back in the '80s, but I think thats leading us to misjudge Lebanese politics.

We'll see.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-06-13 09:20

#1 I haven't followed this enough - so I probably shouldn't comment - but I kind of hope this guy gets a seat. It doesn't seem like he can consolidate enough power to become a tyrant - and he's really the only one with any fighting spirit against the Syrians. The others Jumblatt, etc. just strike me as the type that will get cozy with Syria while claiming to be For The People (TM). They will all wink and nod, and issue a document after lunch that said that progress will take place...soon.

This guy will be a real thorn in their side because he will actually be Against Syria. The people might benefit from him questioning their anti-Syrian credentials.

Posted by: 2b 2005-06-13 08:05

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