More encouraging new…

More encouraging news from Lebanon:

The anti-Syrian opposition secured a majority in the Lebanese parliament Monday, breaking Damascus’ long political hold on its tiny neighbor after opposition candidates swept all seats in the last round of elections, according to unofficial results.

A campaign official for anti-Syrian opposition leader Saad Hariri said the slate had won all seats in the north, guaranteeing the parliamentary majority. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Hariri was expected to announce the victory himself later Monday at a news conference.

As news of the win spread, women and children waved flags and danced on the streets of the northern port city of Tripoli. Motorcades of cheering, honking supporters drove through Beirut, the capital, in celebration.

The opposition party had to take 21 of 28 seats in this area of Lebanon. They took all 28. The Syrian army may have been occupying Lebanon all this time at the invitation of the Lebanese government, but certainly not the Lebanese people. The Syrians overplayed their hand with the assassination of PM Hariri, and the people have finally spoken.

It might be a stretch to connect this with the democratization of Iraq, but not too much of one. Until only recently, Israel was the only real democracy in the Middle East, and now the voice of the people is being heard in country after country in that region. It’s a domino effect that came because someone had the guts to knock down the first domino.

UPDATE: Many thanks to David Wallace-Wells for quoting me in Slate today.

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