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Lebanese Politics Affected By Syrian Battle for Qusair

The fall of the Syrian town of Qusair to regime forces will likely have consequences for Lebanon.
Supporters of Hezbollah and relatives of Saleh Ahmed Sabagh, a Hezbollah member, carry the coffin during his funeral in the port-city of Sidon, southern Lebanon May 22, 2013. Syria's leading opposition group called on Wednesday for rebels across the country to send reinforcements to the strategic border town Qusair, where heavy fighting has drawn in fighters from Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST OBITUARY) - RTXZWIM
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The postponement of Lebanese elections might be one of the first repercussions of the Qusair battle raging in Syria.

The entry of military forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad into this last insurgent stronghold in Homs’ countryside seems to have led, in practical terms, to a conviction by all Lebanese factions that parliamentary elections must be canceled or postponed to a yet undetermined date. The effects of this Syrian military battle on the Lebanese political scene can be explained by two main factors: The first has to do with developments on the battleground, while the second is political and concerns electoral calculations.

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