iloubnan- Future's rally in Tripoli: an occasion to share the party's next steps, November 27, 2011

According to the Arabic daily Al Shark Al Awsat, the rally organized by the Future Movement in Tripoli today should be an opportunity for the former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to announce several positions described as "decisive" by a party official quoted in the daily. 

Hariri has left Lebanon a few month ago. His absence heavily weighs on his supporters' mood, said many militants and political analysts.

The March 14 coalition, which includes the Future Movement, had already organized a rally in Akkar (North Lebanon) a couple of weeks ago.

A Sunni stronghold, Tripoli is traditionally considered as "pro-Hariri". But it has been divided since January between supporters of the former Prime Minister and those of the current head of government, Najib Mikati. Mr Mikati was appointed Prime Minister after the fall of the Hariri government in January, following the resignation of Ministers that were members of the opposition. 

Still according to Al Shark Al Awsat, the Future Movement considers it essential to share with the Lebanese the next steps that the party will take in the coming months.

This rally is taking place as the issue of the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon could lead to the collapse of the government: Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he would resign if the Cabinet could not agree to fund this UN court that was settle to judge the people indicted in the Hariri case. Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri was killed in a carbomb in Beirut on February 14 2005.  

In addition, it is also in northern Lebanon that many Syrian citizens cross the Lebanese-Syrian border to seek refuge there.

Demonstrations against the regime of Bashar al-Assad have frequently occurred in the region of Tripoli to protest against the crackdown by the Syrian authorities on the protest movement launched mid-March.

pro-Assad rallies regularly happen in the same region as well, showing unconditional support to the Syrian president.