Qifa Nabki
Qifa Nabki
Saad al-Hariri Takes the Helm
Four years after his father’s assassination, Saad al-Hariri has been nominated to the premiership. He received the votes of all 71 March 14 MP’s, plus another 12 MP’s from opposition leader Nabih Berri’s bloc (presumably as a quid-pro-quo for Berri’s re-nomination as speaker). While Hizbullah did not lend its support to Hariri’s nomination, one has … Continue reading
Coalition of the Unwilling
I have a short piece over at ForeignPolicy.com‘s “The Argument” blog about the cabinet formation. Here are the first couple of paragraphs, with a link to the rest. Come on back and comment, if you’re so inclined. Coalition of the Unwilling By Elias Muhanna When the March 14 coalition won a parliamentary majority in Lebanon’s … Continue reading
Deconstructing the Popular Vote
Scarcely a day goes by without an opposition leader reminding the Lebanese public about which side won the popular vote in the last election. Interestingly, though, I have not yet read much analysis that attempts to explain exactly how the opposition managed to win as much as 10% more of the popular vote while still … Continue reading
Qnion Series Launched
As per popular demand, the Qnion posts now have their own tag and introductory page. Click the relevant tab on the page header (at the very top, above the cow graphic), and you’ll be able to view the entire series. I’ve been on the road for the past several days. As it turns out, hotel … Continue reading
55% is the new 98%: Arab Despots Take Vote Rigging Lessons From Iran Debacle
CAIRO, Egypt – The massive street protests triggered by President Ahmadinejad’s improbable 63% victory over opposition challenger Mir Hussein Moussavi have prompted Middle Eastern despots to re-think vote rigging strategies for their own upcoming elections. Abdul-Majid Nadwi, a former political advisor to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, says that real change has come to the Middle … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…