Each year, AUB goes through the most important event of the year: its SRC (Student Representatives Committees) elections. This committee is supposed to represent students and get their problems solved. Each faculty SRC elects members for the USFC (University Student Faculty Committee), which is chaired by the president of the university and has a higher authority than SRC.

However, political parties take the elections as a political power competition. The parties with more political power on campus should win more. This year, the "Coalition for Lebanon" included the future youth (Hariri), Lebanese forces (Ga3ga3), and the socialists (Jumblatt). On the other side were the pro-Syrian Aounists, Hezbollah, Amal, Syrian Nationalists, and Wakimists.

The votes are simply traded, each party gives the other his votes. So, the Hezbollah people voted for Aounists (the same people who made effort to issue and supported the 1559!). That's why this year there was less people giving you flyers to vote for some candidate, and the independents had less hope in winning against the dominating two coalitions. The votes were already traded, and dummies had to go and vote for the "lista" they were given.

The results "ceremony" is the most important. Outside campus there is a lot of soldiers and security people and cars. Bliss street is closed for more safety. On Campus, each coalition followers stays on one side and starts the "hitafat war". Every few minutes one of the candidates comes out to the crowds from the counting room, and says whether he won or not. And we hear the cheers from the winning side.

This year's celebrations had something new. First, nobody said a word about Syria, something new after years of: "Hey w yalla Souria tla3ee barra" "Bedna n2ool el 7akika, Souria ma mentee2a". This new improvement came after efforts from Syrian figures and the Syrian Cultural Club who met with all political leaders explaining that Syria has nothing to do with this elections, and any insults to Syria will not be tolerated by Syrian AUBites. The other new thing was each party shouting against the leaders of the other party. So this year we heard new statements: "Ya Walid shoo jabak 3a Bayrout" "Aoun rja3 3a Fransa" "Saad khalleek bi Fransa" "Mr. X, Mr. X" and the two "diguised" statements were: "Mabrook Bashar!" and "Mabrook 3abbas!".

One conclusion, the Lebanese parties weren't ever divided by Syria. They just don't like and will never like each other, whether the big sister was there or not.