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Lebanon's Hezbollah urges new electoral law to be agreed "the soonest

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BEIRUT, May 2 (Xinhua) Editor: Mu Xuequan -- Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called Tuesday the political parties in Lebanon to agree on an election law reform the soonest. He warned that the country is "on the brink of the abyss" regarding the electoral law issue. But he stressed that his party is not seeking to "impose" the proportional representation electoral system on the country. There has been "an attempt to accuse Hezbollah that it is seeking to prevent Christians from electing their MPs with their own votes" recently, he said in a televised speech. "It has also been said that Hezbollah wants to impose full proportional representation on the Lebanese through its weapons and military might," he said. Nasrallah said that his party wants the fairest and most just representation and their stance is not partisan or sectarian. "It is not possible to impose an electoral law on Christians or on Druze should they reject a certain law," Nasrallah stressed. Parliamentary elections were scheduled to take place between May 21 and June 21, but deadlock over the new electoral law would lead to a delay of the polls. The Parliament has extended its mandate twice, in 2013 and 2014, over security fears. In April, Lebanese President Michel Aoun suspended parliament for a month to block plans to extend the assembly's term without election for the third time, aiming to push politicians to agree election law reforms. For years, the parties in Lebanon have been unable to agree on a new electoral law. Some politicians say the law divides the population into constituencies that do not fairly represent their supporters.

Lebanese diaspora an asset to the country: President Aoun

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Madagascar Minister of Foreign Affairs Béatrice Atallah meets with President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace. Tuesday, May 2, 2017. (The Daily Star/Dalati & Nohra, HO)

The Daily Star BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun Tuesday said that the Lebanese diaspora is a “great source of political, economic, and cultural assets.” Aoun made these remarks during a meeting at Baabda Palace with Madagascar Minister of Foreign Affairs Beatrice Atallah, who herself is of Lebanese origin.

Discussing the upcoming Lebanese Diaspora Energy Conference, which will take place from May 4-6 in Lebanon, the president said that the conference aims to “highlight the real image of Lebanon as a land of convergence and dialogue, as well as a model for the world of today and tomorrow.” He added that this especially applies for those of Lebanese origin abroad who “hold high positions.” Atallah is one of several international political and business leaders of Lebanese origin that will attend and take part at the conference Madagascar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs told Aoun that her country's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina hopes to continue to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Lebanon is the first line of defense for America's interests in the Middle East

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Lebanon is the first line of defense for America's interests in the Middle East

By Edward Gabriel, opinion contributor - modified slightly - The article represents opinion of the author-

Lebanon is a country of 4.5 million people hosting 1.5 million Syrian refugees—the equivalent, percentage-wise, of all of Canada and half of Mexico flowing into the U.S. in about four years. In meetings I had last week in Beirut, the country’s Minister of Refugees told me that Lebanon is the “sandbag” against a rising flood that keeps this problem from overflowing to Europe and the West. And after speaking with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and other top government officials, I fear that Lebanon may not be able to cope much longer.

The Lebanese have borne direct and indirect costs of nearly $20 billion as a result of the Syrian refugee crisis, in a country with an annual GDP of $48 billion. Half the refugee children are not in school (which are plagued by overcrowding), power shortages produce less than half the needed electricity, only one-third of households have access to clean water, and the environmental damage from lack of sewage treatment is a disaster. Meanwhile, the country needs to protect its borders from al Qaeda and ISIS, a daily threat to the country and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

Fortunately, America has shown its trust in and support of the LAF, supplying more than 90 percent of its equipment, logistical support, and training. In return, the LAF have refused to accept military hardware from Russia and Iran, preferring its privileged relationship with the U.S. In our discussions with the new Commander of the LAF, General Joseph Aoun, who is visiting the U.S. this week, it was strikingly apparent that the U.S. has a real partner and collaborator in the wider fight against terrorism in the region.

Lebanese vent frustrations over strained economy

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by Gulfnews - Joseph A. Kechichian, Senior Writer

Beirut: Thousands of protesters marked Labour Day on Monday as labour union leaders vented their anger against authorities who struggle to deliver on promises of pay rises. The demonstration coincided with the recent anger over the government’s decision to delay the long-awaited salary rises for teachers, civil servants and the military. On Sunday, the National Federation of Workers’ and Employees’ Trade Unions (FENASOL) and the Domestic Workers’ Union in Lebanon (DWUL) held a pre-protest to express anger over the delays and also organised Monday’s rally near its headquarters at the Cola Roundabout, led by Castro Abdullah, the organisation’s chairman. Abdullah declared that, “May 1st [2017] comes carrying with it more tragedies and crises that make joy and hope for a decent life something very far-fetched for the working class”.

The Lebanese Communist Party added its voice to the Monday rally, while tenants upset with the government’s latest proposals to increase fixed rents, rallied in Beirut’s Ashrafieh neighbourhood. Ahead of the demonstrations, Prime Minister Sa‘ad Hariri marked Labour Day with an assurance that the Lebanese government was ready to tackle all challenges and already began implementing a series of measures to reduce competition for the Lebanese labour market. Hariri clarified that authorities were working to alleviate the suffering faced by workers, and said various measures to reduce “competition for the Lebanese labour force, actuating the economic cycle and encouraging investments to increase employment opportunities” were already being implemented.

The premier reiterated his pledge to present the proposed wage scale to the parliament as soon as possible while pointing out the realities of the market being flooded by cheap Syrian manpower — one of the many repercussions of the six-year Syrian civil war next door. Hariri reiterated that the influx of Syrian workers deprived Lebanese of jobs — many who are in serious economic need. He pointed out that the refugees were also placing a huge strain on public services.