In Lebanon today there is an intense political conflict and violent debate about the need for a new law regarding parliamentary elections, which are supposed to take place throughout the country in a single day during the first week of June. This conflict involves a confrontation between the majority — represented by the current government — and its opponents.
However, the reality of the crisis and its roots go beyond questions of law, elections, and even agreements between the two sides. It is, deep down, an internal crisis within the government itself, and involves the government's relations with the outside, including those nearby, represented by the situation in neighboring Damascus, and those afar, represented by the present administration in Washington.
