The Students’ Elections was one of the most remarkable events in the passing week, specially that all parties wait for it to get a taste of the Lebanese political mood, while it’s the best core to build on and to develop for the future. After the NDU (Notre Dame University) comes now the USJ (University of Saint Joseph) where the results were astonishing and represented to true size of the Lebanese Forces supporters. To read more about the results, please follow the below links:
On another front, appointing Saad Zakhiya as Lebanese Ambassador in Syria took a lot of this week’s discussions and media fuss. Specially that the Lebanese Forces along with Minister Marwan Hamadeh were the only ones to protest against presenting the Credentials to Bashar Al Assad.
Saad Zakhiya could have simply stayed in Lebanon and perform his duties from Beirut. He doesn’t need to be present in Syria.
To make it clear, the Political Relation between two countries is established, managed and maintained by their respective governments, NOT by their Ambassadors. For that the Lebanese Forces party is aware that appointing a Lebanese Ambassador in Syria is just a formality, and there’s not problem with this, and doesn’t mean anything in terms of political normalization between Lebanon and Syria.
Many parties are working very hard to re-establish the normal political relations with Syria, but this will never happen again with Al Assad Regime. Even more, the Lebanese Forces are pushing towards cancelling the humiliating agreement between Lebanon and Syria, the Agreement of Brotherhood, Cooperation and Coordination.
On the regional front, it’s clear that Hizbuallah is confused (or pretending to be) about Thamer Al Thabhan tweets, trying to give it a personal direction while everyone knows he speaks officially the opinion of Saudi Arabia. Those tweeted political stands regarding Iran and Hizbuallah come synchronized with Prime Minister Saad Al Hariri visit to KSA. Which made the Iranian media even more confused on how Saad Al Hariri will handle it internally. The coming period will let us know, especially after Iran’s Vilayati meeting with the Lebanese officials and the second visit of Saad Al Hariri to KSA.
The Israeli attacks on Hizbullah locations inside Syria is taking a more aggressive form than the previous raids, ALL UNDER THE RUSSIAN RADAR that definitely points to the development of the regional confrontation turning Syria into an open conflict space.
Waiting for the historical visit of the The Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi to Saudi Arabia, and what will this visit yield, it was remarkable in the Council of Maronite Bishops Statement the focus on corruption and its danger that shows the lack of loyalty to concept of State, and Lebanon and gives a feeling like we are back to the time of multi-small-states within the same country, while the Bishops’ statements didn’t tackle nor mention the first year of the presidential era.