Thursday, May 12, 2022

Elections 2022: FPM goes for a unified campaign

The FPM which is running (along with allies) in all regions, has opted for a rather quiet campaign, rather "non-tailor made" for each candidate. All of them seem to be going with just a simple logo (the FPM logo along with 22), and nothing but the name of the candidate. 
Their central line is "we have... and we will remain". Is this a slogan of resistance? Defiance? 
Well, I guess at this point many people have lost their faith in the tayyar (as the FPM is called), since they actually held the majority in the parliament (again with allies) and had the presidency all to themselves and the results have been somewhere between disastrous and lukewarm. Do note, it can also be a matter of bad luck as well, since the financial crisis was waiting to happen, and the port explosion simply happened under the president's watch - it could have been anyone else as president, you know. Note that the president (and the FPM people at large) did not make it easier on themselves with him uttering classics such as "he who is not like the situation, let him immigrate" or the "lemon doubly" (originally lamentably) which he uttered in his speech and the "all the way to hell" snippet.
At this point though, politics in Lebanon is incredibly convoluted so - disappointment or not - people will vote either because they are convinced, or to the highest bidder on their ballot.