Adonis Diaries

A Tunisian graduate citizen, Mohammad Bou Azizi, out of work (thousands other graduates out of work for 5 years) set fire on his body and catalyzed a popular revolution against a “President for life” named Ben Ali, who expected to rule more than 23 years.  The Tunisian President tried to mock the people: He first promised jobs for all university graduates within a year; then he promised not to run for the Presidency in 2014, then he fired the minister of the interior, then he fired the military chief-of Staff for refusing to shoot on the demonstrators, then he asked his second wife to flee with 1.5 tons of gold; but he forgot to promise that his oligarchy will not extend their power in 2014 and beyond.   Ben Ali fled the country to Saudi Arabia, a week after the mass upheaval.  The association of lawyers strongly backed the people; a pilot, Mohammad Kilani, refused the boarding of the Ben Ali family and relatives seeking exile and were arrested.

In Lebanon, the opposition parties in the coalition of “Union government” finally decided to fire Saad Hariri PM as he was meeting with President Obama in the White House.  It was a strong message that western political pressures are no longer remedies to local troubles.  An opposition leader, Michel Aoun said: “Saad behaved as if he were a King, the PM for life and didn’t need permission from the government to travel non-stop around the world and discarding rules, regulations, laws, and the concerns of the Lebanese citizens”. 

In Tunisia, the former Mohammad Ghannouchi PM re-constituted a provisional “National Union” government for preparing the next election within three months; he liberated the political prisoners, and has promised to legalize the Islamists and communist parties.  The Tunisian people is still highly restless: The people is saying: “No to a government with four previous rotten ministers holding the key positions.  We want a new Constitution, a new election law, a new parliament and a new government.”  Four ministers resigned and a newer government must be in the making:  The foreign minister was recalled promptly while meeting in Egypt for an Arabic summit of some kind.

In Lebanon, President Suleiman was to start the rounds of political parties nomination for another PM on Monday Jan. 17; and then he postponed the decision for the next Monday.  Why?  The leaders of Turkey, Syria, and Qatar were meeting in Damascus to “ironing out” a resolution according to the deal agreed upon by Syria and Saudi Arabia since September.  Syria has refused the suggestion of French President for a council of heads formed of France, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Syria to finding a resolution to Lebanon’s crisis:  Syria is not about to let Lebanon (on its backyard) be controlled by an international take carer. To make things worse, Bellemare of the International Court on Lebanon, presented his act of accusations to Fransen.  The streets are witnessing peaceful demonstrations so far in reaction to the politically timed International Court accusations.

Tunisia is making most “dictators for life” in the Arab World feeling their heads, as next in line to falling such as Mubarak of Egypt, Kadhafi of Libya, the King of Jordan, Bouteflika of Algeria, and Abdallah Saleh of Yemen, Omar Bashir of Sudan… For example, Saleh of Yemen dropped the proposition in the Constitution for President to life;  Kuwait has released 4 billions of dollars for free food and subsidies to the Kuwaiti citizens, Bashir of Sudan incarcerated Al Turabi (former PM) for fear of setting off mass demonstrations…  So far, the Arab World has witnessed 13 individuals setting fire on their bodies from Mauritania, Algeria, Egypt, and Sudan; many were terribly unlucky and suffering horribly from third degree burns. 

Lebanon is making most foreign powers such as the EU and the USA fearing of losing a sustainable stronghold in Lebanon and taking Lebanon hostage for many years to come through the UN resolutions and the International Court for Lebanon that has been dragging its feet for 5 years.   The Syrian and Saudi deal is for declaring nul and void the institution of International Court for Lebanon by an illegitimate government in 2005 during former Seniora PM; the recalling of Lebanese judges, and stopping Lebanon’s funding of the court that amounted to $40 million each year.  By Sunday evening, there was some kind of a deal but Saad failed to go public and pronounce his agreement.  As Bellemare preempted the deal by presenting his “act of accusation” the Lebanese chairman of the Parliament declared that “what was agreed upon before the act of accusation is no longer valid and pretty much redundant”, meaning “Saad, you may kiss your chances “good-bye” for being selected PM”.  Fact is, Saad Hariri is primarily a Saudi citizen; what he knows of Lebanon was done during his vacation periods; his boss is the Saudi monarch and his superboss is the US Administration.

Lebanon is a week away from a qualitative jump into a new motto “Lebanon strength is not in its weakness; it is by increasing its strength retaliating against Israel’s preemptive attacks and uniting the people, the army, and the resistance against foreign military and political pressures”. 

Lebanon is a week away from taking the high road to equitable democracy:  The citizen is no longer subjected to behaving as chattel to local feudal leader (being bought, sold and transferred) at the whim of the local leader; no longer pressured to vote for his sectarian affiliation, ready to taking to the streets for retaining his acquired rights and claiming long-awaited laws (agreed upon) but taking too long to be enacted by the Parliament.

Lebanon is a week away from feeling stronger than in any previous periods; a Lebanon rich in its diversity, and in harmony with its own people in Syria, Jordan, and Palestine.

Note: Actually, the Hariri clan and their party the “Mustakbal” (Future) ruled Lebanon since 1992, almost with no interruption, and considered Lebanon as their background garden and the citizens as chattel meant to increase the financial hold of the Hariri oligarchy and extending their financial and economic domination with no restriction.  The Hariri clan constituted a shadow government to bypassing the legal and legitimate government.

Note 2: Now the Western world and the regional powers “in the pocket” of the US Administrations (such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Yemen, the Golf Emirates, and formerly Tunisia) instantly rose as a multinational institution to “seriously studying” the Lebanese case and how to circumvent the new shift in power.

Note 3: Fact is, 65% of the Lebanese side with the “opposition movement” and are aware that the previous oligarchy is not serious pondering on their daily needs, long awaiting reforms in the legal system, the election law, the strategic plans for resisting Israel’s frequent invasions of the territory, the obsolete education system, the archaic political and social structure, the health, economic development, taming the increase in foreign debts, enhancing the quality and quantity of potable water, the affordability and availability of electrical power, and opening work opportunities for graduates and workers…

The Lebanese citizens, and much less the foreign workers and immigrants, had no rights under any constitutions; the finance treasury was off any kinds regulations, control, and questioning by deputies or any minister:  11 billion dollars are not accounted for in the last 4 years alone, and over 2 billion in foreign loans were spent somehow and never registered officially in the finance ministry and how they were spent…

You may read a post I published 13 months ago and realize that nothing changed https://adonis49.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/how-to-educate-a-prime-idiot-in-less-than-six-months/