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Geagea says delaying vote would condemn Lebanon to ‘slow death’

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By Timour Azhari and Maha El Dahan MAARAB, Lebanon (Reuters) – Lebanese Forces Political Leader Geagea accused foe Hezbollah and its allies of working to postpone a parliamentary election set for March over fears of electoral losses, warning such a move would condemn Lebanon to a “slow death”. Western donors that Lebanon is relying on to stem its financial implosion have said the vote must go ahead. Politicians from all sides, including Shi’ite Muslim Hezbollah, have repeatedly said it should happen otherwise the country’s standing would be dealt a further blow. But Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces and an ally of Saudi Arabia, pointed the finger at Hezbollah and its ally President Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement for moves to delay it “because they are near certain that they will lose their parliamentary majority”.

Aoun said this month he would not sign authorisation for the vote, approved by parliament, to be held on March 27 as the date was too early. Asked whether a postponement would lead to more fighting after clashes last month between the Lebanese Forces and Hezbollah, Geagea, said: “Not fighting, but to more slow death.” “With the current way things are going, state institutions – and so the state – is dissolving day by day,” he told Reuters at his residence in the mountains overlooking the coastal town of Jounieh. Lebanon has no reliable opinion polling but should the election take place, Geagea’s party is widely expected to make gains, with the Free Patriotic Movement expected to lose seats, potentially robbing Hezbollah of its majority. Without an election to shake up parliament “you will see more of the same”, Geagea said. The United Nations says the economic meltdown has left nearly 80% of people in poverty.

President Michel Sleiman: الى من يعارض الحياد

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الى من يعارض الحياد لانه لا يتناسب مع الموقف الوطني من العدو الاسرائيلي، كيف يفسر الانحياز والاصطفاف في محور اقليمي ضد الدول الصديقة والشقيقة ؟

Lebanese protesters block roads over economic meltdown

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A Lebanese youth stands by burning tyres blocking a road during a protest in the capital Beirut on November 29, 2021, as the country struggles with a deep economic crisis. (AFP)

By Najia Houssari -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: Demonstrators blocked roads across parts of Lebanon on Monday in protest at the country’s economic meltdown, days after its currency sank to new lows. There has been little progress since Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government was appointed in September after more than a year of political deadlock. Roads were blocked by piles of burning tires in central Beirut, Tripoli in northern Lebanon and the southern city of Sidon. Schools were forced to close in Beirut after the protests made them inaccessible to students. Protesters in the city’s southern suburbs, meanwhile, blocked the road to the airport in front of Al-Aytam station. Less than 24 hours before the Beirut protests, residents of Ali Al-Nahri, in the Bekaa Valley, launched their own protests, shouting “we are cold and hungry.”

A spokesperson for the protesters said: “We will take to the streets more frequently in the coming days unless the governing authority put a stop to the deteriorating living conditions the Lebanese are facing.” He added: “The people of Beirut are noble. They are fighting extremely hard for their city and their livelihood. “They are not thieves, and today’s move does not have any political, electoral, parliamentary or ministerial dimension. Its sole purpose is the livelihood of citizens after a large number of students now go to school without any food.” In a UNICEF report published last week, the agency said: “More than 30 percent of families have at least one child in Lebanon who skipped a meal, while 77 percent of families say they lack sufficient food and 60 percent of them buy food by accumulating unpaid bills or borrowing money.”

Lebanese journalist Radwan Mortada sentenced to 13 months in prison

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by cpj.org -- New York, – Lebanese authorities should drop their prosecution of journalist Radwan Mortada and refrain from imprisoning members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On November 26, the Permanent Military Court in Beirut sentenced Mortada, a reporter for the local daily Al-Akhbar and the news website The Cradle, to thirteen months imprisonment for allegedly insulting the military, according to news reports, reports by Mortada’s employers, and the Beirut-based press freedom group Skeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom. The journalist was not present at the court hearing and has not been detained, according to those sources. “The Lebanese military has no business trying and sentencing a journalist for simply reporting on the flawed investigation into the 2020 Beirut port blast, especially when there already exists a court specifically established to adjudicate freedom of expression cases,” said CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa representative, Ignacio Miguel Delgado. “Lebanese authorities should refrain from imprisoning Radwan Mortada, refer this case to the Publications Court, and allow journalists to do their jobs freely and without fear of retaliation.”

The charges stem from a January 9 interview Mortada gave to the local broadcaster Al-Jadeed, in which he criticized Lebanese authorities’ handling of the Beirut port explosion and criticized the army for failing to prevent it. In an interview on Al-Jadeed on November 26, Mortada said that he had not been notified of the date of the trial, and that he objected to being tried before a military court. He said he would appeal the sentence and request that the case be transferred to the Publications Court. CPJ emailed the Lebanese Army for comment, but did not immediately receive any reply.

Lebanese president says he disagrees with Hezbollah on dismissing Beirut port blast judge

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Lebanon's President Michel Aoun addresses the nation from the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon October 14, 2021. Dalati Nohra/Handout via REUTERS

CAIRO, (Reuters) - Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Monday he did not agree with the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah on dismissing the judge investigating the Beirut port blast. Tarek Bitar is leading an investigation into an explosion at Beirut port that killed more than 200 people on Aug. 4 last year. Report ad Hezbollah, Amal and the Christian Marada Movement have accused Bitar of politicising the investigation after he sought to question former ministers affiliated with the latter two parties. Aoun also told Al Jazeera TV that he would leave his position at the end of his presidential term unless parliament decided that he should stay.

Hezbollah spent $10 million on Iranian fuel for Lebanese, Nasrallah says

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BEIRUT (Reuters) -Lebanon's Hezbollah leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said on Friday the group had spent more than $10 million on free and subsidized fuel sourced from Iran for the Lebanese people since September. In a televised address, Nasrallah said $2.6 million worth of fuel had been provided for free to Lebanese NGOs, municipalities, government hospitals and other organizations, while more than $7.5 million had been sold at subsidized rates. He said the program would go on for one more month and then end, and that those living above 500 meters altitude would be prioritized as the cold winter months approach.

Hezbollah began importing Iranian fuel via Syria in September in a move the party said was aimed at addressing shortages in the country driven by its crushing economic crisis. The fuel has been transported by convoys of trucks from Syria's Banyas port to Lebanon in an effort to avoid potential U.S. sanctions on Lebanon for dealing with Iran. Fuel shortages in Lebanon peaked over the summer but have eased after the government ended almost all subsidies, leading prices to skyrocket and consumption to drop. (Reporting by Timour Azhari and Laila BassamEditing by William Maclean and Matthew Lewis)