BEIRUT, Lebanon, By Dalal Saoud - upi.com -- (UPI) -- Lebanon's financial collapse, which has pushed large segments of the population into poverty, has also seen growing anger against the powerful Hezbollah, with more voices openly blaming it for the ongoing crisis and for its allegiance to Iran. Hezbollah's attempts to distinguish itself from the ruling corrupt political class, counting on its reputation as a resistance group that forced the withdrawal of Israeli occupying forces from south Lebanon in 2000 and battled the Islamic State in Syria, are no longer convincing to many, even to once loyal supporters. The group's growing dominance in internal politics, engagement in regional wars and in thwarting the 2019 popular uprising is tarnishing its image as the nation's defender, critics say. With a freezing winter, a continued 22-hour-a-day power cut, lack of diesel fuel and medicines coupled with exorbitant food prices, priorities are shifting to feeding the family, keeping warm, securing medical treatment or simply making ends meet.

U.S. sanctions 3 Lebanese businessmen, tourism company for aiding Hezbollah The poverty rate has nearly doubled -- from 42% in 2019 to 82% in 2021, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. Over two years, the national currency has lost 90% of its value while the country witnesses a dramatic collapse in basic services, an unemployment surge and closure of businesses. Not spared from the hardship, complaints within Hezbollah's own community are not hidden anymore. "More and more people are expressing their discontent openly," said a Shiite woman, in her 60s from the Baalbeck region, a Hezbollah stronghold in eastern Lebanon with the highest number of the group's fighters killed in the Syria war. "They live day by day and are busy securing the basic things, like bread and diesel fuel."

By Najia Houssari -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: Just four people have submitted their candidacies for Lebanon’s parliamentary elections planned for May since the nomination process opened on Jan. 10. The next house of representatives will elect a new president in October, five months after the parliamentary elections. Some 250,000 Lebanese expats have registered abroad to vote in the upcoming elections to choose 128 MPs. Only one-third of them registered for the previous elections, reflecting enthusiasm for change. Zeina Helou, an expert in local affairs, told Arab News that those who submitted their candidacies belonged to the opposition. Helou said there was a delay in the process because opposition figures had been questioning the possibility of parliamentary elections going ahead. There were further delays due to the electoral law requiring candidates to join electoral lists to qualify as a contestant.

The parliamentary elections are expected to be heated as the Lebanese people are motivated for political upheaval in a system accused of corruption. Candidates are also required to deposit LBP30 million ($19,800), which is far higher than the LBP8 million deposit for previous parliamentary elections. Helou said that things might take shape when registration of the candidates’ lists begins, with the deadline set between Mar. 16 and April 4. Amid the low candidacy numbers, the ruling political forces were still studying the possibility of maintaining their electoral allies, with several alliances broken up as a result of the political crisis.

Central bank governor Riad Salameh

Beirut (AFP) – A Lebanese judicial delegation will meet French authorities in Paris next week to discuss investigations into Lebanon's central bank governor Riad Salameh, a judicial source said on Thursday. Salameh is among the top Lebanese officials widely blamed for the country's unprecedented financial crisis that the World Bank says is of a scale usually associated with wars. He is the target of a series of judicial investigations in Lebanon, Switzerland and France on suspicion of fraud, money laundering and illicit enrichment, among other allegations. Salameh has repeatedly denied the accusations.

Next week, Jean Tannous, the Lebanese prosecutor leading a local probe into Salameh, and Raja Hamoush, another Lebanese judge, will meet with French authorities, the judicial source told AFP. The visit "will focus on cooperation and exchange of information between the two sides regarding suspicions around Salameh and some of his close associates with regards to... money laundering, illicit enrichment," among other crimes, the judicial source added, without specifying the exact date of the meeting. France had opened a probe into Salameh's personal wealth in May 2021 following a similar move by Switzerland.

ما لم تَحدُث انتفاضةٌ شعبيّةٌ نوعيّةٌ قبلَ الانتخاباتِ النيابيّةِ في أيّارَ المقبل تُوقِدُ شُعلةَ التغيير، قد يَختارُ معظمُ الشعبِ اللبنانيِّ نوّابَه من بينِ مرشَّحي قوى المنظومةِ السياسيّةِ التقليديّة. ليس هذا التوقّعُ بشيرَ تغيير. لم يَعُد الصِراعُ بين الانتفاضةِ الشعبيّةِ والمنظومَةِ السياسيّةِ التقليديّةِ بِقدْرِ ما صار بين أهلِ المنظومةِ أنفسِهم، وبين دعاةِ التغييرِ أنفسِهم. تَهمّشَت نسبيًّا القوى الجديدةُ التي تَعتبرُ نفسَها قوى التغييرِ، واغْتربَ بعضُها في ولاءاتِه على غرارِ التقليديّين. والرياحُ العاتيةُ لا تَرحَمُ الأغصانَ الطريّةَ المبعثَرة.

وإذا كان التنافسُ بين قِوى المنظومةِ التقليديّةِ عاملًا يُساعدُها لتَتقاسَمَ في ما بينَها نتائجَ الانتخاباتِ النيابيّةِ، فالانقساماتُ بين القِوى الجديدةِ عاملُ ضُعفٍ يُعطِّلُ انطلاقَها السياسيَّ والانتخابيَّ ويَحرِمُها الكتلَ الشعبيّةَ الناخبَةَ التي تؤمِّنُ الحاصِلَ والصوتَ التفضيليّ. قانونُ الانتخاباتِ الحاليُّ، بحدِّ ذاتِه، ضِدُّ مصلحةِ الوجوهِ الجديدةِ شِبهِ المجهولة. هذا قانونُ أصحابِ القواعدِ الثابتةِ والخدَماتِ المتوارَثةِ والثرَواتِ الطائلة. وإذا كانت أكثريّةُ دعاةِ التغييرِ تَفتقِرُ إلى القواعدِ الشعبيّةِ الثابتةِ والخدَمات، فبعضُها يَسْتجِرُّ إمداداتٍ ماليّةً تفوقُ أحيانًا قُدُراتِ بعضِ القوى التقليديّة...