“On the eight anniversary of his father’s death, Saad Hariri delivered a speech via video link from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia remembering the man and his legacy. The head of Lebanon’s Future Movement called on the Lebanese people to ensure the country’s future as a civil state in the upcoming elections. He vowed allegiance to the principles of the Cedar revolution, an event which ended the 30 year Syrian occupation of Lebanon. “We will run in the parliamentary elections alongside our March 14 allies and the Lebanese who believe in a civil state,” he said in an address to a rally commemorating the death of Rafic Hariri, affectionately dubbed ‘Mr. Lebanon.’ Saad, who currently lives in France.. …………..”

I suspect anything is possible in the People’s Democratic Monarchy that is Lebanon. He aspires to become prime minister of (part of) Lebanon in absentia (just as he was for his last year in office a few years ago). As I suggested a few days ago, he can use Go-to-Meeting or Skype to run his Saudi cabinet in Beirut from the comfort of Paris. No need to do a “return from Elba thing: he will not get the same reception as Uncle Nappy did two centuries ago. Hell, he can be sitting at Fouquet’s while chairing the cabinet meeting. If he gets bored with Paris, he can always fly to Riyadh for a day or two. One look at the dour royal Wahhabi bosses and he’ll appreciate the charms of Paris and fly back in no time.
Maybe he ought to have attended that meeting two days ago in my hometown on the Gulf. He could have gotten some pointers from Ayad Allawi (briefly appointed by the US as prime minister of Iraq by mistake). Then there was Fouad Saniora, the would be liberator of Solidere, or was it Saudi Oger?
Cheers
mhg