By Scott Peterson -- csmonitor.com -- With a Lebanese flag draped over her shoulders, and optimism for political change filling her heart, Nisrine Hammoud joined hundreds of thousands of her fellow citizens on the streets during Lebanon’s “October Revolution” in 2019. “We feel like we are alive again,” she told the Monitor late one night at Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square back then, as protesters demanded the toppling of a political class renowned for corruption, and a total uprooting of the entrenched sectarian system that was leading to state collapse. An election was the “only chance” to make such change, Ms. Hammoud said. “It’s up to us. It’s up to the people to decide if they are going to go back to their old ways, or we are going to go forward.”

WHY WE WROTE THIS

Changing an entrenched system requires energy. While some in Lebanon voted last week to break with the past, most still voted for sectarian parties, an indication of fear and fatigue. That election finally came May 15, but with mixed results for activists like Ms. Hammoud. Pro-change candidates won a dozen or more of the 128 seats in Parliament, and Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies lost their majority, dropping from 71 to 58 seats. The result outstripped modest predictions for anti-establishment candidates, and so was lauded as a “breakthrough” by some Lebanese media. But it also showed the challenges of changing the country’s baked-in sectarian system at a time when people are worn down by the demands of survival. Indeed, popular disgruntlement has grown even more widespread following the Beirut port explosion in August 2020, and the further disintegration of the economy and services that has now left more than 70% of Lebanese living below the poverty line.

MP Farid Haykal el Khazen confirmed on Monday to LBCI that he is not an ally of Hezbollah and will remain independent …

by Dr AmiraDr Amira Abo el-Fetouh -- middleeastmonitor -- The whole world has watched the parliamentary elections in Lebanon, as if they are taking place in their countries due to the nature of Lebanon and its important strategic location, adjacent to Israel, as well as the presence of Hezbollah, one of Iran's most important arms in the region, given its overwhelming influence in Lebanon. This has made Lebanon into a State within a State, with Iran as the de facto ruler, holding the keys and the wheel of the government. This is in addition to the armed militia it possesses in the country, armed with missiles, weapons, military equipment and fighters, amounting to over 100,000 according to Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, who added that Iran pays them their pension, food, drink, treatment and housing; everything is provided by Iran. This is what caused the Lebanese people to say that Iran occupies Lebanon and that it needs to be liberated and gain independence from Iran. The Lebanese words are not coming out of nowhere, or merely words for the sake of words; it comes from their anger at Hezbollah's infiltration of all parts of Lebanon. They were even backed by one of the Iranian political officials in Iran, who said, "Iran occupies four Arab capitals, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen." Hezbollah had previously stormed and occupied Beirut and Al-Jabal in the events of 7 May, 2008, with what was known as the "black shirts".

Herein lies the importance of the recent parliamentary elections, which some considered a key stage in Lebanon, especially as they came amid a severe economic crisis, bank bankruptcy, loss of Lebanese deposits, increase in inflation rates, massive poverty and a significant decline in its national currency, which lost about 90 per cent of its value, causing the Lebanese people to become frustrated and refrain from participating in the elections and voting. The people have grown tired and disgusted with the ruling clique, which will be brought back in the elections. This is because the sect leaders do not change or step down until they die, and then their children inherit their seats, and they are recycled. This is why the participation rate in these elections was much lower this year, compared to the past elections in 2018, even amongst the Shia sect, despite Nasrallah and Berri urging their Shia supporters to participate in large numbers and tempting them with money.

By Najia Houssari -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: Lebanese authorities on Monday began removing concrete barriers around the country’s parliament building after the election of former protesters as MPs. The security measures had been put in place at the outbreak of massive anti-government protests in 2019. They are to be relaxed following the election of a dozen reformist newcomers to the 128-member legislature, including some who had taken part in the protest movement. Some of the new MPs had called for the restrictions to be eased before they attended the first session of the new parliament. Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi attended the start of the work yesterday afternoon. The clearing will be completed before the next parliament session is held, a statement from House Speaker Nabih Berri’s office said.

The move comes after the election of 15 MPs from the Forces of Change group, which was demonstrating in the streets around parliament, in addition to a number of independent MPs. Beirut MP Ibrahim Mneimneh, from the Forces of Change, said: “There is no need for the barriers placed around the people’s house because it is for the people. They are needless barriers.” He said that the measures decided by Berri were the result of the traditional ruling forces realizing “the decline of their popularity, so they decided to respond to the popular demands.”

MP Waddah Sadiq, a former protester, said the fences around parliament are a separation wall. “Today, parliament represents the people who demand change, so they decided to ease the procedures,” Sadiq sad. Sadiq said that the economic and living crises “are increasing, and people may turn to a state of rejection again. We need the pressure to address them.” He said that the previous government did not take any effective handling measures. The plan approved by the government included neither recovery nor economy, said the MP. “Therefore, we are entering a difficult phase and we will be on the side of the people.”