Rumors have been circulating in Beirut for weeks about a change in political positions and alliances, with Gen. Michel Aoun, the most prominent Christian leader, appearing to have adopted a new political stance. Speculation abounds that Aoun has been gradually moving away from his Shiite allies while making overtures toward Sunni leader and former prime minister Saad al-Hariri. What are the reasons for this situation and to what extent are the expectations of a radical repositioning in the Lebanese political scene plausible?
The end of May was the constitutional deadline for Lebanese MPs to make a decision on a new electoral law. They had to pass a new one, approve holding elections based on the law still in force or extend their own mandate, which was to end on June 20. After they failed to pass legislation for holding parliamentary elections, talk began to be heard of Aoun changing his political alignment.
