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Syrian voters shake up Lebanese politics

The throngs of Syrian voters in Beirut shocked the Lebanese political establishment.
A Syrian national living in Beirut holds a picture of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his father, late President Hafez al-Assad, as Syrians gather to make their way to the Syrian Embassy in Beirut to cast their votes ahead of the June 3 presidential election, in Yarze, east of Beirut May 28, 2014. Expatriates and those who have fled the war were casting their ballots at dozens of Syrian embassies abroad ahead of next week's vote inside the country that opponents have dismissed as a farce as the fighti
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The scene in Beirut on May 28 was surreal. Throngs of Syrian refugees headed to the Syrian Embassy to cast their ballots in a scene beyond all description. The surprise was not only the manifestation of support for President Bashar al-Assad through banners and numbers that exceeded all expectations, but the political meaning, which possessed implications and dimensions surprising to everyone. 

For the last two years, Syrian men, women and children could be seen roaming the streets of Lebanese cities and villages. Furthermore, the Lebanese and foreign media have continuously reported on the suffering of the Syrian people, with Lebanese politicians discussing the impact of the Syrian refugee wave on Lebanon’s security and economy. International institutions and global relief agencies have published report after report on the scope of the tragedy and its impact on Lebanon, where the number of Syrian refugees totals one-third of the population. 

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