How to decide an election - Democracy Islamo-Syrian style

Lebanese MP Antoine Ghanem was assassinated.

He is the fourth pro-government Lebanese MP to be blown up as part of the campaign for election of Lebanon's next President. 

The Hezbolla and the Syrians have killed 4, and have 8 more to go before ensuring that the Lebanese elections reflect the will of the Syrian people, as embodied in Bashar Assad:

 

Alongside one of the busiest roads in Beirut, a booby-trapped car shook the densely populated and mostly Christian neighborhood of Horsh Tabet in Sin al-Fil - killing MP Antoine Ghanem and six others.

 

Ghanem, 64, was a low-key legislator from the Christian Phalange Party. He was the eighth prominent anti-Syrian figure assassinated since 2005, and the fourth lawmaker from the ruling coalition to be killed, reducing the ruling majority's voting weight in Parliament - with pro-government lawmakers holding 68 of Parliament's 128 seats, compared to the opposition's 59.

 

"Syria is back and is killing off more of our anti-Syrian politicians!" cried a bloodied Emile Abou Hamad, whose car-rental business near the site of the blast sustained heavy damage, echoing similar angry accusations by pro-government officials.

 

After a respite of three months since the last assassination - that of another pro-government MP, Walid Eido, - Lebanese tuned into familiar television images of shattered glass, burning cars, and rescue teams recovering mangled corpses.

 

Security sources estimated that the device contained 20-30 kilograms of TNT and was detonated by remote control as Ghanem's car passed by, wounding 56 people in the process.

 

Pro-government officials tied the slaying of Ghanem directly to the upcoming parliamentary vote, saying the killing aimed to deprive the ruling coalition of its majority.

 

Who said Islamist parties can't adapt to democracy?

 

Ami Isseroff

 

Cross posted: Israel News  Middle East Analysis