Inevitable Suleiman?

The Lebanese Head of the Army is emerging as a compromise Presidential candidate.

There are a lot of reasons, from his military background to having risen through the ranks under Syrian tutelage, why a Sleimen Presidency would be anathema to March 14. The anti-Syrians are more than willing to cite the examples of the three Generals before him (Shehab, Aoun, Lahhoud) to argue that an Army background is bad for Democracy. Some bloggers are calling his potential presidency a coup, some a Junta.

March 8 too doesn’t like Suleiman. They were angry about his stances during the “Cedar Revolution” when he disobeyed his (pro-Syrian) civilian leadership to allow the demonstrations to take place peacefully, ultimately resulting in the humiliating withdrawal of the Syrian army. Sleimen also angered Hezbollah when he disregarded their god-on-earth’s ‘red-line’ and attacked the Bared Camp, destroying bit by bit years worth of Syrian arms smuggling.

The Aounist hate him because in many ways, he resembles their beloved leader. They look at him as a clone of the real thing and they would feel betrayed if the new kid on the block took the prize their leader have been coveting for ever.

So how could such a widely hated figure become the head of state? Well, for precisely the above reasons. In today’s political stalemate, a Sleiman Presidency can be marketed as a victory by both sides. He made conciliatory noises with Syria (“The Lebanese Army’s guns will only be pointed towards the Israeli Ennemies”), and he made peace with both parties by saying that neither Syria, nor Seniora are behind Fateh Al Islam.

Bkirki’s apparent endorsement also made Suleimen a comfortable political option for the Muslim parties of March 8 and March 14. Hariri and Nassrallah would no longer have to “break the news” to their strongest Maronite candidates that they are not accepted by the other side and should be “sacrificed for the good of the country”

Mr. Suleiman “is ready” to take power and the signs that he will are literally everywhere. Apparently, Pictures of Sleimen are starting to pop up all over Lebanon.