AUB elections

Today, Lebanon’s largest private university conducts its “students representative committee elections”. It’s an important election to watch.

I always hated that day.

The election day in AUB is the day you’re not allowed to forget to bring your student I.D. or you’ll be kept outside the premises, the day actual armed forces guard the campus, the day gorgeous ladies try to woe you to their campaign stands to convince you to vote for them because “We only have a students agenda”.

Of course anyone remotely familiar with Lebanon’s student elections knows that they are less about tuitions and more about Syria and Israel. AUB is a Lebanese mini cosmos that can predict the direction of the entire country (think of it as Lebanon’s Ohio), and this is why everyone, including top politicians, keeps a close eye on it.

Lebanese university elections always reflect the alliances in the real Lebanese world, so expect to see FPM, Hezbollah, Amal, Marada in one alliance (March 8), and FY, PSP, LF, DL on the other (March 14).

This year, AUB, aware of tensions, has toughened the rules. Brandishing party names and symbols or pictures of politicians are strictly forbidden. But as usual, everyone will find a way to get around them.

The seats are up for grabs, but the only prediction I can make with a certain confidence is that the Future Youth will take on the S. Olayan School Business.

Lists of candidates: Arts & Sciences, Engineering & Architecture, Agriculture and Food Sciences, Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, Business

More: Daily Star Coverage, My interpretation of last year’s results