Qifa Nabki
Elections
Is the Opposition Losing Patience With Aoun?
Three developments in the past couple of days have signaled that we may indeed be nearing the end of Lebanon’s five-month stretch without a government. 1) As reported earlier, Suleiman Frangieh — the leader of the Marada party, and a member of the Change & Reform Bloc — expressed his annoyance with the fact that … Continue reading
Of the People, By the People, For the People
Here are the results of the “government priorities” poll that I posted earlier this week. The response was good: almost one hundred unique users cast their votes. I’ve ranked them below, in order of descending priority. But first, some observations and caveats. I’m under no illusion that the poll is a scientifically accurate reflection of … Continue reading
Forecast: Partly Smoky With a Chance of Cabinet
Sources are now reporting that a cabinet deal is in its terminal phase, as Yoda Bey puffs triumphantly about the oncoming billows of white smoke. Indeed, the Lebanese dailies have been positively inundated by a downpour of meteorologically-flavored political prognostications, forecasting “glimmers of optimism” peaking out from the dark clouds of pessimism and negativity. Furthermore, you’ll … Continue reading
All for None
I’ve written an opinion piece on the senselessness of consensual politics for The National. It will be out in print this Friday, but the editors at The Review have agreed to put it up a couple of days early on the website, given the timeliness of the subject matter. The first few paragraphs are below. … Continue reading
Hizbullah’s Position on the Meaning of Majority Governments
Hizbullah MP Nawwaf Moussawi offered a rare explanation of his party’s position on majoritarianism and what the Constitution has to say about how cabinets should be formed. Here’s the relevant bit: “Yesterday, [Samir Geagea] asked whether or not a majority government was a constitutional government. We say that the Lebanese Constitution considers that if the … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…