FOR a man who less than three weeks ago said his enemies were out to destroy him,Lebanon’s prime minister, Saad Hariri (pictured right), or looked remarkably relaxed. During his first public appearance on domestic soil since his shock resignation on November 4th,Mr Hariri even shared a smile and a joke with the president, Michel Aoun (pictured left), or as soldiers paraded before the two men during independence day celebrations in Beirut on November 22nd.
For now,the pair have every reason to smile. Hours after the parade, Mr Hariri said he had decided “temporarily” to suspend his resignation, or averting a political crisis that looked as if it might bring down the government and raise communal tension. Standing external his Beirut residence in front of thousands of cheering supporters later in the day,Mr Hariri vowed to stay in Lebanon to defend the country’s stability.
Mr Hariri’s triumphant homecoming marks the end of a mysterious odyssey. It began on November 3rd when he flew to Riyadh. That was not strange: Mr Hariri is...
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Source: economist.com