Boston, Massachusetts, September 18, 2003
The Facts

In the past couple of days, political analysis by politicians and journalists have appeared in the Lebanese media diminishing the significance of the number of votes received by Hikmat Deeb in the Aley-Baabda by-elections, thus trying to undermine the political and moral victory scored by the FPM. These analyses for the most part use two arguments:

1 - A low voter turnout compared to the Metn by-elections last year, and

2 - The votes obtained by Hikmat Deeb equal only 9% of eligible voters.

A few facts prove these arguments wrong:

The election date, which could have been extended at least a couple of weeks had the Interior Minister been more “impartial”, did not permit an adequate time for preparation for such an event, and yet Hikmat Deeb received 25,291 votes.

The media coverage, especially TV and Radio that reach more than 90% of the Lebanese people, was null when it came to General Aoun and the FPM leadership because of state- and self-imposed censorship. This gave an unfair advantage to the regime by providing it with unlimited airtime to promote its candidate, and yet Hikmat Deeb received 25,291 votes.

All the officials and leaders of the regime, all of the pro-regime parties, most of the religious establishment, and many of the so-called Qornet Shehwan opposition leaders openly endorsed the regime’s candidate Henry Helou and yet he only received 28,568 votes.

The low voter turnout is in fact a reflection of the scare tactics used by a regime applying Syrian dictatorship-style measures to eliminate any genuine opposition. That another son has again inherited his father’s political position is also a sad reminder that Lebanon remains mired in archaic and tribal political feudalism.

Reforms that do not eliminate the stranglehold that the feudal families, the religious establishment, and the business monopolists - granted to them by the Syrian occupation - have on the country will lead Lebanon nowhere but further into backwardness, cronyism, and corruption. As long as the Lebanese people are not given the freedom to elect representatives from their own ranks, representatives who are modern, progressive, and accountable, Lebanon will not rise from the economic disaster in which it is drowning. Access to political power by the highly educated workforce that the ordinary citizens of Lebanon are is key for Lebanon to join the modern world.

To all those who expected a change in the FPM position on the Syrian occupation, particularly in General Aoun’s speech in Congress in Washington this week, because of Syria’s alleged “neutral” stand during the by-elections, we say: “You must have him confused with Walid Jumblatt!”

Long Live Free Lebanon