of the presidential elections there may be decided based on what happens in Lebanon on June 7. The Iranian media is reporting on the election in Lebanon as much as the election in Iran.
The interest by the Iranians in the Lebanese election is sending shockwaves throughout the region, specially in countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia , the Arabian Gulf states.
The concern by the Lebanese who have been advocating an Independent , free and sovereign Lebanon is that a Hezbollah victory will spell the end of the Cedar Revolution, an end to Lebanon's independence since Lebanon will become an Iranian satellite , an end to the Lebanese institutions specially the army, an end to the tourist industry specially because most of the tourists that spend money in Lebanon come from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states and an end to the free life style of the Lebanese since they know what happened in Iran after Ayatollah Khomeini took over.
What frightens those Lebanese most is that a victory for Hezbollah could turn Lebanon into another Gaza
What frightens those Lebanese even more is that a victory for Hezbollah could mean that Lebanon's only friends will be Iran and Syria.
Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of election-related dollars are sloshing through the Lebanese economy. According to a banking observer the Khomeinist regime in Tehran has emerged as the "big spender," supplying its various agents, clients and allies with "more money than they could use."
June 7 is just around the corner and we will soon find out what kind of Lebanon we will have on June 8
Friday
21:40 Aoun: No matter how much Hariri pays, he will not be able to match the $1 billion we paid to the Lebanese people. This confirms what analysts have been saying all along and that is "Iran is the big spender in the elections ".
21:38 MP Michel al-Murr told MTV: My popular base has been steady in the elections since 1992. When MP Michel Aoun came to Lebanon in 2005 he did not have a popular base, but I aligned myself with him because I expected him to be a Christian leader after his long exile.
21: 00 Speaker Berri on LBC's Kalam el Nas talk show: When the results are finally out, if either March 8 or March 14 win, there will be a national unity government. This is a certainty, because Lebanon is based on consensus
20:20 An Nahar : The Lebanese army has uncovered 25 cells spying for the Israeli Mossad and arrested since early 2009 six networks belonging to al-Qaida, according to high-level military sources
20:00 MP candidate Sami Gemayel said during an election rally that "Hezbollah created the Shebaa Farms issue to justify the presence of its weapons." He also said that his party wants “respect for public freedoms like freedom of press and basic human rights, while the change that Hezbollah wants is a May 7 style of change.” He added : "We do not want arms in the hands of the Sunnis, the Shia, or the Christians. The only weapons that protect us are those of the Lebanese Armed Forces .”
18:32 Aoun during an election rally in Zahle : "They are trying to scare you of Hezbollah's weapons. These weapons are not to impose the velayat al-Faqih rule in Lebanon." Aoun urged his supporters to elect the whole electoral list
18:20 MP Saad Hariri addresses a rally concluding al-Mustaqbal's elections campaign in BIEL: What we have in common is our love for Lebanon. We respect the decision of the Lebanese and all we hope for is that our opponents also respect the voters' decision in the elections.
16:15 Army chief Kahwaji: "The Lebanese armed forces will show zero tolerance towards security breaches on election day June 7"
16:05 Lebanese Security forces responsible for maintaining law and order during election in Marjayoun and for protecting its polling stations have arrived at the Serail
15:55 Hubeish told LBC : March 14 is heading to victory in Akkar and several other districts
15:50 Nazem Khoury told radio Free Lebanon : We remain independent , our alliance with Soueid is strictly electoral in nature
15:49 Minister Baroud discussed with the EU election monitoring committee and with the Carter Center the upcoming electio
15:16 NBN TV: Despite the expiry of the deadline for ending the processing of Lebanese identity cards, 200 individuals coming from Australia are being fingerprinted to process their ID cards.
14:45 The Lebanese electricity company ( EDL) called on the Lebanese to conserve electricity on election day to avoid blackouts, by setting the air temperature at 25 deg C ( 77 F) and the hot water temperature at 60 deg C ( 140 F) and by making that lights are off in unoccupied rooms
14:18 The Maronite Bishops after their yearly conclave called for holding transparent elections and urged the Lebanese to resort to dialogue to settle all differences and to put their nation’s interest before their personal interests. Welcomed reforms after the elections under the leadership of Suleiman
14:10 The Maronite Bishops after their yearly conclave under Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir: Sfeir is expected to announce 2010 the year of Saint Maroun. A coordination committee was formed in this regard.
14:09 MP candidate Bahjat Harati announces withdrawal from electoral race in Zahle and candidate Khalil Kharma withdrew from Beirut III
14:03 Judge Issam Suleiman elected President of Constitutional Council, judge Tarek Ziadeh as Vice President, Judge Assaad Diab as Secretary
14:01 "Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya endorses Future Movement list in Akkar," said Mohammad Hawshar a former MP candidate of Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya
13:15 Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said forged identity cards cannot be used and ink applied on thumbs to cast votes is irremovable. Election turnout of election staff was between 85%-99%.
13:00 Candidate Sami Gemayel: We will either stay in a permanent stage of war or we enter a stage of permanent peace.
11:50 MP Michel Aoun: The sky is blue but it can’t be blue unless the sun is orange.
11:50 Raad: Those who waited for Hezbollah’s defeat in 2006 are waiting for party’s failure in elections. (Hezbollah declared victory after the 2006 war which left Lebanon with over 1200 dead , over 5000 wounded , 1 million homeless and billions of dollars in damages.)
11:47 MP candidate Rachid Daher announces withdrawal from electoral race in Akkar
11:47 Former MP Jean Obeid told LBC: I agree and at the same time disagree with MP Michel Aoun. Same goes to LF leader Samir Geagea. But we have to admit that both are loyal to their friends unlike Phalange leader Amin Gemayel.
11:35 Members of the Constitutional Council took the oath of office at Baabda palace and President Michel Suleiman stressed that the council should be neutral.
11:30 MP Candidate George Wadih Thoros announced his withdrawal from the race in Tripoli
11:15 PM Fouad Siniora discussed electoral issues with head of the Carter Center and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
10:00 Soueid after meeting Patriarch Sfeir: There should be a heavy turnout in order to overcome the logic of the mini state.
9:30 Acting Beirut governor Nassif Qaloush banned trucks starting 12:00 pm Saturday until Monday night to ease traffic during the elections.( fuel delivery trucks excluded)
9:20 Candidate Saadallah Mazraani told VOL: There is a possibility of tension in the aftermath of the elections because of internal divide and conflict in the region.
9:16 Candidate Edmond Gharios told VOL: There should be a high election turnout for the sake of sovereignty, independence and defending our authorities, led by the presidency.
9:15 Candidate Emile Kanaan told VOL following Sheikh Naim Qassem’s speech : "We warn about transforming Lebanon into another Gaza."
9:12 Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir is meeting with March 14 secretariat-general coordinator Fares Soueid .
09:03 Debris found by Brazilians is trash and not part of Air France plane crash. The mystery continues
Thursday
00:02 Hariri told Marcel Ghanem at Kalam el Nas talk show : What happened on May 7, 2008 was not only directed against the Sunnis but against the whole country
23:14 MP candidate Gibran Bassil told OTV: Even if March 14 wins the elections , it will not be the winner, because we will have the largest parliamentary bloc
21:35 Hariri told Marcel Ghanem at Kalam el Nas talk show : After the election ends we will decide with our allies on the cabinet and the prime minister.
21:16 Geagea: All the polls are showing that the result of the elections will be in favor of March 14 in Zahle, Beirut I, and Batroun.
20:50 Tashnaq Party Secretary General Hovig Mekhitarian: Our alliances based on conviction, freedom of choice
20:08 MP Hassan Fadlallah told AFP: "What we heard is a speech that reveals no real change to the position of US policy in the region" .
19:45 Election of staff and poll workers ended and ballots transferred to Bank of Lebanon
19:41 Baroud will hold a press conference Friday to reveal the results of the special election by the employees
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19:38 Polling station for government employees in Jezzine closed 294 out of 318 voted ( 92.5 %)
19:31 Siniora: No one is able to monopolize the city's history and to serve his own interest , and no one can divide the people between the nationalists and traitors. ( In reference to Osama Saad's remarks)
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19:28 Polling station for government employees in Zgharta closed . 192 out 0f 193 voted (99.5%)
19:18 Minister Bahia Hariri: The Taef accord is the fruit of premier Rafik Hariri's labor. It tolerated accusations and skepticism but he did not care and continued to educate the youth. On June 7 Saida will hold accountable those who made mistakes.
19:26 MP Michel Aoun at a public rally in Shouf: "There is a kind of bitterness in my heart because reconciliation in the mountain did not exceed handshaking.... Whatever the election result is in the Shouf district, we want it to aim at national unity"
18:50 MP Samir al-Jissr at the Tripoli public rally: The solidarity list is an expression of the will of Tripoli's people. It is the list that you have wished and asked for even before its birth.
18:42 Minster Mohammed al-Safadi at the Tripoli public rally: Sunday is the turning point between the project for state building VS satellites will be decideed. We will not remain silent over injustice and we will liberate the oppressed. About his opponents he said: The stars ( Nujoum ) of the sky are going to be lot closer to reach than the Nejmeh square ( Star square )", where the parliament is located
