But I think as time went on after the Rose Revolution, I think he wanted to perpetuate this kind of system in which there was really absence of checks and balances, no real opposition included in the political process very much sort of governing by committee of the inner circle, of loyal allies around the president.

VOA: standard.2009.09.01

Damascus has steadfastly denied the charges. Hilal Kashan, professor of political science at the American University of Beirut, thinks that the Hezbollah-led opposition scored a big victory with the general's release and could win the parliamentary elections because of it:"The opposition is using the release of the 4 senior officers as a moral victory, and says for the past 3 years and 8 months, four officers were jailed for no reason, whatsoever and they are coming hard on the Lebanese legal system and the process the Lebanese government, and they say this is the beginning,"

VOA: standard.2009.04.30