Qifa Nabki
Michel Sleiman
The Lebanese Presidency, Twenty-Five Years after Ta’if
Lebanon failed to elect a president this week, but the failure was rather dignified by recent standards. Unlike the 2008 election — preceded by twenty months of government paralysis, public demonstrations, a parliament building locked by its Speaker, and several high-profile assassinations — it was a relief to watch 124 parliamentarians show up at the Chamber of Deputies last Wednesday and cast their votes. Most … Continue reading
March in Support of Proportional Representation
I got an email about a planned march in support of proportional representation (PR), which will take place in Beirut on May 13. In a way, conditions are ripe these days for Lebanese civil society groups to push their agenda for electoral reform because: (a) the issue is front and center again, and (b) because … Continue reading
Wikileaks Shocker: Lebanese Defense Minister Reveals Plan to Stay out of Israel’s Way in Next War
If you haven’t yet seen them, be sure to check out the latest Wikileaks cables released to al-Akhbar, at least one of which is tremendously damning and could have major implications for the Lebanese political scene. (See here for the Lebanon-specific ones). In the cable mentioned, the Lebanese Minister of Defense Elias al-Murr discusses with … Continue reading
Watch Your Mouth
Don’t miss Jean Aziz’s excellent op-ed in al-Akhbar today; it’s a letter to President Michel Sleiman, asking him to explain his reasons for arresting three young Lebanese for slander and defamation against the president, on Facebook. The Western press is claiming that the incriminating Facebook posts were taken down, but you can find copies of … Continue reading
Sleiman meets Obama
President Michel Suleiman met with President Obama yesterday afternoon in the Oval Office. Judging from the two leaders’ remarks at the post-meeting press conference, it seems like it went roughly according to script. Sleiman: Thank you for receiving us Mr. President. Obama: Thank you for coming, Mr. President. It’s an honor to have you. Sleiman: … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…