Syrians disappointed with Lebanese election result

Damascus: Many Syrians were disappointment over the win of the March 14 alliance in Lebanon.

For the past two days, many were anticipating the elections with high enthusiasm, hoping for a big win for Syria's allies in Lebanon.

Siham Abu Dahab, an administrative employee, said her only fear was the disarmament of the resistance, namely Hezbollah. "I was hoping that the Lebanese people would show some appreciation for the people who fought Israel and forced it to withdraw from Lebanon," Siham said.

"I don't know what will happen in Lebanon now. I love Lebanon, but there are too many problems taking place there, and as a Syrian, I feel that disarming the resistance would weaken this neighbouring country, which would reflect badly on the region," she said.

Rasha Omran, a writer and poet, said she hoped the Lebanese people would not be let down by the politicians they elected.

"The elections were democratic, despite vote-buying by some parties. People said their word, and we now hope for the best for Lebanon and its people. I hope Lebanon would overcome its problems and become a normal country once again, because the Lebanese people need to realise that they have a responsibility and they are in the same boat, regardless of sect and political opinions. They either make it together or sink together, which is not what anybody wants," she said.

Hisham Mahmoud, an accountant, angrily said he did not know how the Lebanese people would elect their warlords to continue running the country after they proved their failure.

"The last thing these people have in mind is the interest of their country. How could they sell their country's future for a few dollars or a plane ticket? Is this democracy? These people will take their country back to the days of the civil war because what they did would cause the country to stumble again and fail to form a government," Mahmoud said.

"Besides, Israel will now have an excuse to attack Hezbollah under the pretext that this is the public sentiment. The Lebanese are free to do what they want with their country, but what they don't realise is that their decision will affect the whole region, and not in a good way," he said.

However, not all Syrians showed the same enthusiasm towards the events in Lebanon. "I don't care one way or the other," Manaf Salman, a doctor, said.

"None of the Lebanese politicians is thinking about Lebanon. They are all tools serving foreign agendas, and it does not matter who wins because things will never change in Lebanon and it will always be a battlefield for foreign powers," he said.