...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too...
six-year term nears its end, As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Oboy. A rump parliament in Tripoli declares independence from Leb and joins
The daily said that the United States is backing elections to choose a new president and has sent an envoy who has a specific mission to follow up the polls.
Meanwhile, a lady who pegged out in her garage in 2008 is discovered to have voted Hezbollah in two or three elections.
But the report said that La Belle France, which is also expected to send envoys to Beirut, believes the current situation in Leb and the region is not encouraging, and that elections could not be held given the difficulty to reach an understanding between the Western countries and regional and local parties on a single candidate.
Gay Paree prefers Suleiman's term, which expires in May, be extended, according to As Safir.
Its stance is also backed by Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
, the daily said.
It quoted however a U.S. diplomat as saying that Washington prefers the election of a new president even if he was a personality not allied with it.
Among the names making the rounds are Free Patriotic Movement
Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic...
leader
Michel Aoun...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah...
and Marada movement chief Suleiman Franjieh, who are both members of the Hizbullah
...
Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as
The Resistanceand purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory...
-led March 8 alliance.
Other names include the March 14 camp's Phalange Party
The Kataeb (Phalange) party was founded by Pierre Gemayel in 1936, who modeled the party after Spanish and Italian Fascist parties he had observed as an Olympic athlete during the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, then Nazi Germany. The movement's uniforms originally included brown shirts and members used the Nazi salute. Despite the party's uniform, its strong sense of nationalism and dedication to a single charismatic leader, the Lebanese Kataeb was not and never became a fascist party nor did it espouse a totalitarian ideology.
chief and ex-President Amin Gemayel, and Lebanese Forces
A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb...
leader
Samir Geagea... Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005 ...
.
The presidential elections could be a topic of discussion between U.S. President Barack Obama
Ready to Rule from Day One...
and
King of the Arabians, Sheikh of the Burning Sands Abdullah... Fifth out of 37 sons of King Abdulaziz to ascend to the throne. He is, after his half-brothers Bandar and Musa'id, the third eldest of the living sons of Abdul Aziz ibn Saud. Abdullah's mother is from the Rashid clan, longtime rivals of the Saud. He has 6 sons and 15 daughters and about $20 billion. His youngest son is just seven years old...
in Riyadh over the weekend, As Safir said.