Baabda Palace … Falls out of Memories

Once upon a time Lebanon had a … President.

The state has been infected by the never-ending vacancy, specifically 136 days following the end of President Michel Sleiman’s term. It seems that counting dawns and sunsets is set to resume as no progress has been noted and hope seems distant with the presidential dossier being tossed between foreign hands while local ones remain chained, flagellating democracy.

On May 25, now former President Michel Sleiman exited the Baabda Palace and stepped out of the local political chart. With no media exposure, meetings, delegations and not even Miss Lebanon lighting up the entrance, the Baabda palace remains a dim locale.

136 days have so far passed and presidential-palace employees have no task to undertake. A few read newspapers, others surf the net sipping coffee, while another group has developed a guessing game in a crack at guessing the identity of the next Commander in Chief. Amid popular anger and blazing tires, the impressive palace has become a forgotten place as protests shake up the Nejmeh Square; meetings get underway in Ein el-Tineh and security breaches bloody Arsal, Brittel and Tripoli.

The First Maronite post is vacant and those “First” Maronites are toiling at other ventures, watching time and nature stretch its vines around the “castle” that is verging on the derelict. Seven Heads of States strode the palace hallways, while the eighth could at least be depicted as unwittingly fleeing the Maronite stronghold.

Will we ever come to hear the good news and trumpet the election of a new President?
Let us meanwhile tell joyful once-upon-time tales to camouflage the substandard stabs at reviving democracy.