Lebanon news update - the Presidental election

The Parliamentary session for the election of a new President of the Republic of Lebanon has been decided on Friday 23 November 2007, the last constitutional deadline.

 

While Syria and Iran are pushing towards a Presdient that would serve their interests, the US and the EU are supporting the democratic choice of the parliamentary majority, i.e. to chose a 'national' president, who would normally have good relations with the West.

 

The third option, which is being discussed, is the worst case-scenario: a political void with no President elected, no government formed and no Parliament, leading to a new civil war.

 

Security measures are at their highest this week to ensure that no violence erupts.

 

A successful election of a President 'made in Lebanon' is meaningful to the Middle East region, which is boiling at this point, in the sense that Lebanon, this small country, is trying to stand independant from the 'Axis of Evil', as the first true democratic Arab country.