The rule of President Michel Suleiman is almost over. In just a few days, or more accurately, a few hours, his constitutional mandate will come to an end. On May 25, the president will leave the palace and return to his house, in accordance with the articles and provisions of the constitution. The amendments made pursuant to the Taif Agreement compel the president to hand over all authority to the cabinet in case a new president is not elected before the specified deadline, a scenario that is almost inevitable.

Despite accusations, Suleiman did not attempt to extend his mandate, as did other previous presidents. If it were his intention, he would not have recently intensified his political movement to restore the balance of the internal political scene, or escalated his stances, demanding the respect of the constitution and the halt of the boycotting campaigns of the electoral parliamentary sessions. Also, he would not have leveled such scathing criticism against Hezbollah, denouncing the way it used its weapons outside the framework of legitimacy and its embroilment in the Syrian war.

In the last period of his mandate, Suleiman seemed as though he was racing against time, trying to compensate for the first phases of his rule, which can be called, the era of “Suleiman I.” It is true that, at the time, he did not make controversial decisions and was a man of few words, avoiding confrontations to the extent that some accused him of being weak and lenient with Hezbollah. Suleiman, however, proved to be a different man in the last two years. The era of “Suleiman II” was characterized by boldness and eye-catching political movement, even if his latest stances have stirred such controversy that some went as far as insulting him personally.

Circumstances, perhaps, opened the door for or imposed this change: The collapse of the March 14 camp's strength, and the developments of the Syrian crisis have revealed the excessive power of Hezbollah, which exceeds the state in terms of role and weight. This is why Suleiman was compelled to seek the restoration of balance on the internal scene.