Opposition Claims Victory in Lebanon Vote

Very encouraging news in the Middle East (though the left might still claim that nothing good has come from the War on Terrorism and toppling Sadaam).

The anti-Syrian opposition claimed victory Monday after unofficial results showed its candidates securing a majority in the Lebanese parliament, breaking Damascus' long political hold on its tiny neighbor.

Men, women and children waved flags and danced in the streets of the northern city of Tripoli as news of the opposition victory spread. In Beirut, the national capital, opposition supporters drove through the city, cheering and honking in celebration.

Unofficial results showed opposition candidates sweeping all seats in the final round of the four-stage elections, which was held Sunday in northern Lebanon. The announcement of official results by the Interior Ministry was delayed as the counting took longer than expected.

Freedom in Lebannon is one step closer. Maybe the Syrians will get a clue and start joining the tide of democracy around the world...thus giving up its aide to terrorism.

Spain was met with violence and they buckled, caved, cowered, ran. Lebannon was met with violence and, like the US, they were galvonized.

"The north has decided the character of the new parliament and given the absolute majority to the opposition," opposition leader Saad Hariri said at a news conference.

Hariri did not give a number for the seats he believes his alliance has won. But earlier Monday, a pro-Syrian leader, former Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh, also said the opposition had triumphed in Sunday's polling.

Asked whether he would seek the premiership, the 35-year-old son Hariri said he would consult his allies. The Feb. 14 slaying of Hariri's father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, galvanized the movement to oust Syrian troops from the country.

Saad Hariri needed to win at least 21 of the 28 seats at stake in the north Lebanon balloting after Christian leader Michel Aoun and his allies made a strong showing in a previous round in central Lebanon last week, denying the opposition a majority.

Times ahead will not be easy. There is a deep divide that must be accounted for...though at preliminary counts the ousted power is in the very small minority.

The new 128-member parliament will face the challenge of healing the divisions and new sectarian tensions that resulted from the campaign.

Hariri said he will negotiate with other parliamentary blocs to broaden his alliance.

"We have to maintain dialogue with everybody. We will not close the door on anyone," Hariri said, extending a hand to his defeated opponents.

Aoun, who returned from 14 years' exile in May but broke with the anti-Syrian alliance to form his own list, said he would sit in opposition. "There's a dispute over values," he said of his rivals.

And leave it to the Europeans to piss on a parade.

The election was marred by allegation of vote-buying and other shortcomings. The head of the European Union observers, Jose Ignacio Salafranca, said his team of about 100 personnel had "directly witnessed a few attempts at vote-buying" in the three previous rounds of voting. He also said the electoral system needs "a very serious reform to be closer to the democratic standards."

Of course, that is stupid the losing side Democrats say about the American electoral system. They were not bitching when it worked for them, but now that they are on the losing end they are whining that the system must be broken since they did not win.

One apparent victim of the elections was the Christian-Muslim solidarity that emerged after Hariri's assassination. The final round of the balloting was marred by sectarian divisions as both sides sought to rally their supporters in the battle for seats.

It was nice while it lasted but the whole 'silent about other Muslim jihads against Christians' is somewhat damaging to any lasting Christian-Muslim solidarity.

All in all this is good news from Lebannon, in my little and insignificant view.