Today, March 14, 2024, marks the 19th anniversary of the "Cedar Revolution," which manifested as a sovereign Lebanese uprising against the era of Syrian custodianship and its violation of the state, land, and institutions for an extended period. This led, after the outbreak of the assassination war, to the eruption of a revolution by the Lebanese, from most of their communities and sects, except for those linked to the Assad Syrian regime and the Iranian regime. This extraordinary revolution uprooted the Syrian Assad custodianship from Lebanon, as reported by "An-Nahar."
The anniversary bears its historical weight after 19 years in a shocking reality where Lebanon appears to have regressed significantly, either back to an era of external custodianship or into a severe internal-regional compound custodianship. This currently manifests through the unbearable custodianship of the war forcibly imposed on Lebanon by a unilateral decision from "Hezbollah" and the looming threat of its destructive expansion.
Also present is the ongoing presidential vacuum that has persisted for about a year and five months, leading to the accumulation and emergence of serious ramifications for the state and constitutional institutions, exacerbating the crises of collapse Lebanon has been suffering since 2019. Consequently, the 19th anniversary of the Cedar Revolution serves as a sentimental reminder echoing in every corner of its memory, particularly the oath of Gibran Tueni, which has become akin to a national unity anthem in facing custodianship, occupation, and liberation. He, alongside the other martyrs of the sovereign uprising, sacrificed their lives on the path to Lebanon's freedom from custodianship.
Yet the current times return the Lebanese to fragmentation, turmoil, and increasing fear of a war for which no one can guarantee that it will not occur. As for the internal political reality, it is marked by a severe imbalance of power, reflected in a unilateral authority devoid of balance, which disunites opposing and sovereign forces, clinging to undermining the constitution and principles through a sustained vacuum under slogans and maneuvers aimed either at enforcing a president for the obstruction team or prolonging the presidential vacuum indefinitely, according to "An-Nahar."
