14 March Alliance

Saad Hariri’s Speech And The Senate’s Constitutional Amendment
Saad Hariri's Televised Speech (The Daily Star/Mohammad Azakir)

Saad Hariri’s Televised Speech (The Daily Star/Mohammad Azakir)

Hariri’s 14th of February speech looks like a continuity of his interview on LBC two weeks ago. As I noted earlier, Saad Hariri is changing the way he speaks. He’s starting to act with Hezbollah from a secular point of view, instead of getting too sectarian and scaring the Christians with the Sunni boogeyman that Michel Aoun keeps taking advantage of. He’s also showing the Lebanese some national stances: At first the right to Civil Marriage, and now the right for the youth (18-21) to vote among other things. (You can check his speech here). Here’s two contradictions his speech that are noteworthy:

The First Contradiction

Hence, we took the initiative, while holding onto the Taef Accord, to make clear proposals that require (more…)

Privacy, Protection, And Politicians
The Information Branch's request

The Information Branch’s request (Update: It shows on the document that it’s from summer, so apparently it’s an early request before the assassination). Courtesy of Elnashra

To hand over the telecom data to the ISF or not to hand over the telecom data to the ISF, that is the question.
Every once in a while, the same issue surfaces again. It’s a normal dilemma any country can have. It’s a choice one makes: The right to privacy or the right to protection. Handing the data can be useful to strengthen Lebanon’s security, but it’s a serious threat to our privacy and freedom.


Sehnaoui’s Call
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A Closer Look At Lebanon’s Dissociation Policy And Riad El Solh’s Ministerial Statement
Riad El Solh

Riad El Solh

A couple of days ago, I came across El Solh’s ministerial statement of the 7th of November 1943. His speech, considered to be more or less a written sample of the National Pact, doesn’t look as if it comes from the 1940s. You can see it [here] (I couldn’t find an english version).

It tackles contemporary issues we are facing today. (more…)

Why Wouldn’t Jumblatt Leave The Coalition?

Saad Hariri on Walid Jumblatt- Twitter

After the Ashrafieh explosion, one of the loudest accusations to the Syrian Regime came from Walid Jumblatt. Everyone expected the Jumblatti ministers to resign from the government , but until this very moment, the PSP didn’t leave the governmental coalition yet, and Hariri made an issue out of it on twitter. The moment Jumblatt leaves, Mikati will have to resign. The seven PSP MPs are enough to make a no-confidence vote successful. Walid Jumblatt is afraid of two things: a governmental vacuum, or an alternate efficient government. (more…)

What The Events Following Wissam Al-Hassan’s Assassination Tell Us

Siniora giving his speech in Wissam Al-Hassan’s funeral, Nadim Koteich is on his left.

Nadim Koteich calls the demonstrators to storm the Grand Serail.  Few minutes later, on the ground, Nouhad El Machnouk says that the protesters won’t stop  attacking the Serail until the government falls. Half an hour later, Hariri tells his supporters to withdraw from the streets. Geagea and Gemayel quickly imitate Hariri and do the same. Fifteen minutes later, Elias Atallah says that the supporters won’t leave the streets. Siniora initially stays silent then calls for calamity. The protesters confused, don’t leave but rather reorganize themselves peacefully. One day later, Mouin Al-Merehbe incite the protesters in Tripoli to start a civil disobedience. Meanwhile, his colleagues in the FM refuse to call for civil disobedience. (more…)

How Three Words Destroyed a Political Comeback

Protesters Trying To Storm The Grand Serail

“Ya Shabeib, Ya Sabaya, Yalla Yalla A’al Saraya!! Yalla Yalla Al Saraya!!”

It’s amazing how few seconds can change a nation. The assassination of the General happened within seconds, but its repercussions will shape Lebanon’s political future. It’s amazing how few seconds can change a nation. The calls of Nadim Koteich happened within seconds, and their repercussions might destroy every possible chance M14 miraculously had because of what happened in the past few days.

Siniora’s Silence

Nadim Koteich made his calls while Siniora was next to him. So why didn’t Siniora stop the crowds immediately? why didn’t he ask for them to halt their movement? Because it would have been too awkward to stop Koteich who was enthusiastically singing his words while Siniora’s speech was itself inciting and taunting against Mikati. What could be the worst result after all? Deep down, he knew that if the couple of thousands succeeded to storm the Serail, every political detail would have changed in this country. (more…)

Waiting for the Electoral Law- Preemptive Moves, Retirements and Refusals

Lebanese Parties’ Stances on the Different Electoral Laws

However it should be fun imagining Berri backing the Orthodox Gathering’s Law should the Christian parties agree on it.

I’m selfishly quoting myself from a post I wrote three weeks ago. The surprise: Now Berri is backing the Orthodox Gathering’s Law, and so is Hezbollah. The Christian parties, however, did not agree on it. Two things need to be carefully noticed: The Shia duo’s preemptive move that put the FM and its Christian allies in an awkward position, and the Christian parties’ failure to agree on a Law. (more…)