ABSTRACT
The resolution of the hostage problem did not signal the return of normalcy to the country. If anything, the removal of an international crisis allowed domestic issues to shift to the centre of politics. The constraint of refraining from opposing the government when it was entangled in a major external crisis no longer inhibited the political groups. Nor did the protracted war with Iraq restrain domestic political forces from continuing their struggle for power and influence, and at times, for mere survival.
