Political situation in Lebanon, August 2009:

Shiite is resting, Sunni on vacation, Druze is switching and Maronites are lost

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Lebanon is always going through interesting political shows.

The parliamentarian elections in June 2009 gave a result that made the 14 of March coalition a renewal majority. All common sense would then be that this coalition should make a government and rule while the 8 of March minority could take the opposition role. This didn’t happen in Lebanon. The majority has to include the minority inside the government, otherwise some parties would oppose in an armed way.

The Shiites are represented by Hezballa and Amal. They have to be in the government or else the country will stand still, even though their parties belong to the minority coalition. They are resting now and waiting to get their ministers on the posts they choose.

The Sunnis are represented by the Hariri Future movement and they belong to the majority coalition. Saad Hariri who is appointed to form the new government has not been able to take the final decision on his own and has since then been outside Lebanon more than inside. One could think he is on vacation.

The Druze’s are represented by Jumblats Progressive Socialist Party. He belonged to the majority’s coalition before the elections and was among the biggest defenders of that coalition. A few weeks after they start to sound more and more like 8 of March parties and to a certain degree they are also attacking the majority. We can really say he has switched.

The Maronites are the Christian group that is the most active group politically. They have equal parties inside the 8 and the 14 of March coalitions. They are inside the majority coalition represented by Lebanese Forces, Kataeb and other political personalities. In the minority coalition or 8 of March they are mainly represented by the Free Patriotic Movement Party and the Marada movement and other political personalities.

The Maronites are unfortunately lost in their positions. Every party have its own goals and objectives. There are no uniting elements among the parties like there are among the Sunnis, the Shiites and the Druzes. The Maronites used to rule the country and always have the last word in any situation. Today the President witch is the highest ranked Maronite can only play the role of a judge with no real power among groups armed with different powers, economically and armed ones. 

Its time for the Christians of Lebanon with the Maronites in the lead to get together and unit over one main goal that the whole population can work for. Its time the Maronite leaders put history behind and look into the future.