Elias Hrawi and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad. (Credit: OLJ archives)
In his book, Return of the Republic, former President Elias Hrawi recounts that after the assassination of President René Moawad on Nov. 22, 1989, Parliament Speaker Hussein Husseini went to Damascus to discuss who would succeed him as head of state. A number of MPs were in favor of MP Pierre Helou, who held the Maronite seat in Aley, but he withdrew after consultations with his family, fearing a repetition of Moawad’s fate. During the meeting between Husseini and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, the latter told him bluntly, “Go and gather the MPs and elect Elias Hrawi.” Hence, there can be no doubt that this presidential election was 100 percent made abroad. According to many observers at the time, Moawad’s assassination and Hrawi’s election marked the beginning of the “putsch” against the “real” Taif Agreement, the internationally...
In his book, Return of the Republic, former President Elias Hrawi recounts that after the assassination of President René Moawad on Nov. 22, 1989, Parliament Speaker Hussein Husseini went to Damascus to discuss who would succeed him as head of state. A number of MPs were in favor of MP Pierre Helou, who held the Maronite seat in Aley, but he withdrew after consultations with his family, fearing a repetition of Moawad’s fate. During the meeting between Husseini and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, the latter told him bluntly, “Go and gather the MPs and elect Elias Hrawi.” Hence, there can be no doubt that this presidential election was 100 percent made abroad. According to many observers at the time, Moawad’s assassination and Hrawi’s election marked the beginning of the “putsch” against the “real” Taif Agreement, the...
In Zahle, no voting instructions from the FPM to its supporters