The Lebanese Head of the Army is emerging as a compromise Presidential candidate.
There are a lot of reasons, from his military background to having risen through the ranks under Syrian tutelage, why a Sleimen Presidency would be anathema to March 14. The anti-Syrians are more than willing to cite the examples of the three Generals before him (Shehab, Aoun, Lahhoud) to argue that an Army background is bad for Democracy. Some bloggers are calling his potential presidency a coup, some a Junta.
March 8 too doesn’t like Suleiman. They were angry about his stances during the “Cedar Revolution” when he disobeyed his (pro-Syrian) civilian leadership to allow the demonstrations to take place peacefully, ultimately resulting in the humiliating withdrawal of the Syrian army. Sleimen also angered Hezbollah when he disregarded their god-on-earth’s ‘red-line’ and attacked the Bared Camp, destroying bit by bit years worth of Syrian arms smuggling.
The Aounist hate him because in many ways, he resembles their beloved leader. They look at him as a clone of the real thing and they would feel betrayed if the new kid on the block took the prize their leader have been coveting for ever.
So how could such a widely hated figure become the head of state? Well, for precisely the above reasons. In today’s political stalemate, a Sleiman Presidency can be marketed as a victory by both sides. He made conciliatory noises with Syria (“The Lebanese Army’s guns will only be pointed towards the Israeli Ennemies”), and he made peace with both parties by saying that neither Syria, nor Seniora are behind Fateh Al Islam.
Bkirki’s apparent endorsement also made Suleimen a comfortable political option for the Muslim parties of March 8 and March 14. Hariri and Nassrallah would no longer have to “break the news” to their strongest Maronite candidates that they are not accepted by the other side and should be “sacrificed for the good of the country”
Mr. Suleiman “is ready” to take power and the signs that he will are literally everywhere. Apparently, Pictures of Sleimen are starting to pop up all over Lebanon.
Hello, my name is Mustapha and I've been blogging about Lebanese society, business and politics since February 2005.
No more army generals plz, an army general can not be democratic.
One of the main reasons why 14 March is against Sleiman is because he was appointed by the Syrians. His family married into the Syrian regime (his sister’s husband is Bashar’s spokesman). He is close to the Damascus regime.
Aoun’s moves have been stupid. It’s because of his intransigence that Sleiman could end up as president, which, as you put it, puts Aoun in an even more precarious position.
please no generals in the presidential palace!!!
Great, another do-nothing President for 6 years. Didn’t see that coming. (Yawn)
It’s amazing how you all seem resigned to that scenario happening.
The very fact that you’re not fighting the idea shows a certain grudging acceptance from your part. Perhaps a hidden admittance that maybe he’s the best realistic option out there?
Or the fact that our representatives don’t really represent us and are going to do anything that pleases them.
Plus, isn’t it speculation at this point?
circumstances have evolved to make us believe that he is “the best realistic option out there”, but I’m of the belief that the country is better off with new blood.
surely there are people who are not so closely tied to the current lot of politicians “governing” the country. i keep on mentioning the name Demanios Khattar, and if not him, there must be others out there who are just as capable as him that can inject new ideas and a new brand of leadership to the cause. i hope that i’m not coming across as idealistic and naive but after the efforts of the Cedar Revolution and after the martrys that have passed over the last couple of years and after the crap that the country has had to endure over the last 30 or so years, surely it is time that Lebanon is allowed to choose the best possible candidate for the position of President???
He’s no compromise leader, he is what you would call a dormant Pro-Syrian as someone put it on another site.
And he is a general!
one more reason to leave lebanon for good
Yup. The coup proceeds on plan.
One step closer to a coup
And of course, now, all of a sudden Suleiman is a “compromise”? (Hint: He’s no compromise at all) and that idiot patriarch Sfeir is buying into it hook, line and sinker, once more showing that he’s so scared about the Maronite positioning that he’s going to bungle yet another one.
And I agree with the commenter who said this should be fought tooth and nail. Not accepted like yet another pathetic solution.
If Suleiman’s chosen, it won’t matter anymore how many small fights march 14 has won.. Syria won the battle..
Afif,
Yup. And it is in M14′s power to refuse to accept Suleiman. But knowing how incompetent they’ve been lately, and factoring in Sfeir’s unwitting “help”, I wouldn’t be surprised if they truely believe this to be a “compromise” (it really isn’t).
I’m awaiting to hear some reactions from the more vocal members of M14 (Geagea, Jumblatt) to get a feel for how they’re going to play this one.
is it stupid to talk about Riad Salameh?
Amazing that anyone can consider this seriously. We have all been waiting to see who the “real” Syrian choice is and now we know. This would not follow Law & would be un-Constitutional, so that mean just burning the Constitution? This amounts to a soft Military coup and there is no other way to put it. The Government has said they have proof that Syria is behind the Terrorist attacks and now Pres-elect Suleiman says they are lying? Time to show the proof, no matter who it burns. Time is short and Syria just made their move.
Anybody remember a Military coup that brought a “general” to power and that “general” was ever willing to give up that power?
Nope, I didn’t think so.
Yup. It’s been a month or two of “positioning”, but many of us had suspected this was the plan all along. Aoun was the decoy, Suleiman was the real Syrian plan all along. And they managed to fool the idiot Sfeir into thinking this is a compromise candidate (it’s not!).
I am hoping that M14 is not as dumb as Sfeir is, and does not fall for this typical bait and switch ploy.
And I still can’t understand why Suleiman hasn’t been fired. In any normal country, an army commander has no business giving advice to politicians, making calls to foreign heads of state (news is leaking now of his calling Bashar Assad recently) , or plotting to go around the constitution.
Suleiman=Lahoud reborn. Totally unacceptable.
By appointing Suleiman, we would not move the country forward but perpetuate yet another stalemate. M14 was the begining of something new in Lebanon. It should be maintained not killed.
Suleiman would be better off by maintaining his dignity and laureates through his Army Commander job not by moving in as a President. Anyway, doesn’t the constitution prohibit him from becoming President?
The constitution prohibits a lot of things. Sadly, the Lebanese politicians treat it like a piece of toilet paper.
None of this shit would be an issue if there was a complete respect for the laws and constitution of the land.
Good my brothers, Keep up the good work.
M14 cannot go through with Sleiman’s bid for the presidency under any pretext. Marwan Hmade was clear on that yesterday. But I believe that the only reason M14 has not been very vocal in responding to Sleiman’s hogwash, is to spare the army’s morale another blow.
I don’t know why you guys are attacking a guy that you know nothing of. Michel Sleiman came to a restaurant one sunday in his civilian cloth with a couple of people, I was having lunch there with my family and directly recognized him, but not the waiter who has been seating people. The small group asked for a small table to have lunch, and the waiter replied rudely: ” Can’t you see it’s full!” and turned his back to go back to work. I thought that the waiter is going to find himself likin Sleiman boots in less than five seconds, to my surprise, Sleiman (head of the Leb Army) smiled to his friends and told them “Let’s just go somewhere else”.
Which one of your leaders wheither from M8 or M14 wouldn’t have made a scene and made himself acknowledged and got the best table. A governmental planton would have pulled rank the lebanese way “mannak 3arif ma3 min 3am te7ke!!!”
Even a che77ad would have tried to insist and get a table. but no, Sleiman wearing his civilian cloth left without any publicity whatsoever which for me and my family witnessing the scene was very good publicity. As someone mentionned, if Sleiman was a syrian puppet he would have totally messed up your fake cedar revolution. His orders were clear since day 1 of the protests and that date is not March 14 but feb 15-16-17… Do your job as soldiers, protect the civilian right to protest. The army was exemplary those days and for the first time in my life, I felt that this army is really lebanese (the syrians were still there I remind you).
Sleiman comes from a family from Amchit (Jbeil)and the town of Amchit respect that man even if some don’t like him. His positions during the crisis prooved that he is a patriot and that he follows his conscious and the patriarch advices who as well prooved that he is on the same distance from all.
I am not a big fan of generals becoming presidents, but not all generals make the worse presidents.
The least we can say about Sleiman is that he is not on anyones side, and that makes him a good candidate for me.
Constitution, coup, what marwan hmeide says or what aoun feels…. Kello 7ake 3al fadeh. when the smoke settle, the last man standing is the winner.
Ralf,
I don’t care if he’s a general, a nice guy, or a jackass.
He is a civil employee.
He is forbidden by the constitution to run for president.
He has no business (being a civil servant) giving political advice, threatening coups, or interacting with foreign heads of state (calling Bashar Assad).
Those reasons should be enough (specially the constitution one) to disqualify him.
But then again, you people don’t understand the concept of law and constitution….
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