by english.alarabiya.net -- Hussein Dakroub -- Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has warned that Lebanon will be deprived of promised regional and international aid if Hezbollah and its allies control the country by winning a parliamentary majority in the elections set for May 15. “There are no signs that Arab and international aid will be forthcoming if Hezbollah continues to control Lebanon,” Siniora told Al Arabiya English on Monday.

In another statement carried earlier in the day by Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, Siniora, a harsh critic of Hezbollah, said: “What does it mean if Hezbollah and its allies gain a majority in Parliament? Amid Hezbollah’s control [of Parliament], will there be a possibility for any salvation, reforms, and Lebanon’s recovery after it was pushed into this deep abyss: a kidnapped state, a fully collapsing economy, the threat of depositors losing their money and the need for reforms in all aspects of life such as electricity, water, food, medicine and education? Definitely, no.” “With the expansion of the control of Hezbollah and the sectarian and confessional parties allied with it, this will be at the expense of the Lebanese state and its institutions, which will lead to the continued implementation of Iran’s agenda in the region. In this case, there will be no aid and no Arab or international support,” Siniora added.

Although he is not running in the upcoming polls, Siniora is supporting an 11-member electoral list that will compete to gain mainly Sunni seats in parliament in the Beirut district after former Prime Minister Saad Hariri decided to remove himself from political life. A professor of economics and international relations agreed with Siniora, warning that an election victory for Hezbollah and its allies will further complicate the Lebanese crises and impede efforts for the country’s economic rescue. “A victory by Hezbollah and its allies in the elections is bound to block the road to the possibility of Lebanon’s economic salvation. Consequently, the situation will continue to deteriorate and Lebanon will no longer exist on the map because the economic collapse means the state’s inability to survive, while it is already unable to survive,”

by arabnews.com — RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has signed two deals to support the food …

by nna-leb.gov.lb

وطنية - شدد "لقاء الجمهورية" خلال اجتماعه الدوري عبر تطبيق "زوم" برئاسة الرئيس ميشال سليمان، على "أهمية الاستحقاق الانتخابي في 15 أيار، كون مجلس النواب العتيد سينتخب رئيس الجمهورية المقبل، وهذا ما يُرتب مسؤولية كبيرة على المواطن الناخب المفترض ان يعلم انه مصدر السلطات، فيحاسب حيث يجب ان يحاسب، ويُطلق ثورته الخاصة خلف العازل، وهي الثورة القادرة على التغيير الحقيقي، فيما لو اقتنع الشعب اللبناني بفكرة الانتخاب السياسي، وليس الانتخاب العقائدي أو العاطفي أو الزبائني".

وقال: "نلفت المقترعين الى ان خيارهم ينبغي ان يكون الى جانب حصر السلاح بيد الدولة، وتحييد لبنان عن صراعات المحاور وليس لصالح اللوائح التي ترفع شعار الاكثرية النيابية لحماية السلاح، في حين يجب ان يكون هذا الفوز المنشود من قبل ذاك الفريق ضمانة للتخلي عن السلاح غير الشرعي الذي يحول دون تحقيق سيادة الدولة وانقاذها من الانهيار".

Beirut - Paula Astih -- english.aawsat.com -- Pope Francis' visit to Lebanon on June 12-13 is of great importance to many Lebanese who see it as a gateway to hope after all the difficulties that the country has experienced since 2019. Preparations are underway for the Pontiff's visit, in coordination between Lebanese and Vatican officials. In mid-April, the cabinet assigned Tourism Minister Walid Nassar to chair a ministerial committee to prepare for the Pope’s visit. The Maronite Patriarchate appointed Archbishop Michel Aoun to represent the Catholic Church in the committee.

Asharq Al-Awsat learned that the Papal Ambassador to Lebanon sent the Vatican a draft of the visit program established by the executive body of the Council of Patriarchs with the Papal Embassy, in coordination with the Presidential Palace. According to Nassar, a Vatican committee will visit Lebanon on April 27 to closely review the program and visit the sites that the Pontiff will tour. Nassar told Asharq Al-Awsat that he will have completed the formation of the media, financial, logistical, and security committees that will organize the visit. He revealed that the Pope wants his visit to Lebanon to be "modest and simple," considering that it will be "national and spiritual," as he will call for a culture of dialogue, peace, and love. After all the turmoil they went through in the past few years, the Lebanese people proved that they are strong, and the Pope's visit will be a positive shock after all the adverse shocks, most notably the explosion of the Beirut Port, said the Minister. Archbishop Aoun stresses that the visit "gives hope to the Lebanese people.”