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AL-RAHI: WE WARN AGAINST ANY ATTEMPT TO POSTPONE THE ELECTIONS UNDER ILLOGICAL PRETEXTS

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NNA - Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, affirmed that "the parliamentary elections are not only a periodic constitutional entitlement, but a stage to renew national life through democracy and popular will." "It is time for parliamentary life to regularize, so that political forces compete under the constitution’s roof for change for the better, so we warn against any attempt to postpone the elections under illogical and non-national pretexts, and we insist that they happen on their constitutional dates, in order to ensure the people’s right to vote and change and preserve Lebanon," Al- Rahi added. He believed that "the decision of the General Authority of the Court of Cassation restored the judiciary's prestige and restored hope for the completion of the investigation away from interests."

Lebanon.. Annulment of Dental Syndicate election results after fistfight and ballot box throwing

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Lebanon.. Annulment of Dental Syndicate election results after fistfight and ballot box throwing (videos)

by middleeast.in-24.com -- The results of the Dental Syndicate elections in Lebanon that were held on Sunday were canceled, after several verbal disputes and fistfights between doctors and the throwing and breaking of ballot boxes. Al-Jadeed channel reported that the results were canceled after complete chaos and the objection of some doctors to their inability to view the results on a screen placed in the counting hall due to a technical malfunction, and complaints about the lack of transparency of vote counting.

The Captain of Dentists, Roger Rubeiz, confirmed in a statement to the channel that he will sue an unknown person because of what happened, hoping that the surveillance cameras have documented this. He pointed out that the union will call for other elections according to its bylaws. And talking about the presence of people who do not belong to the dental profession in the screening hall, he said: “It is not possible to control this large number of people in the hall.” The head of the “Phalange Party” Sami Gemayel commented on the event in a tweet on his account via “Twitter”, saying: “What happened in the Dentists’ Syndicate elections is shameful and shameful.” He added, “Armed Hezbollah elements from outside the doctors attack the screening staff and smash boxes in a scene that does not bode well for the upcoming parliamentary elections.”

President Michel Sleiman: من عطل عملية الفرز في نقابة اطباء الاسنان ؟ القمصان البيض او القمصان السود ؟

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من عطل عملية الفرز في نقابة اطباء الاسنان ؟
القمصان البيض او القمصان السود ؟
هل هذا هو النموذج لاي انتخابات مقبلة ؟

بعد القضاء حان وقت النقابات ؟

Lebanon judiciary stands firm despite Hezbollah allegations

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Demonstrators carry banners and flags during a protest in front of the Justice Palace after a probe into Beirut blast was frozen, in Beirut. (Reuters)

By NAJIA HOUSSARI -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: The Beirut Bar Association has urged all officials to refrain from interfering with the judiciary and respect the law and work of institutions. Nader Kaspar, head of the association, said: “The lawyers stand in solidarity with the judges and the Judicial Council.” His statement came as the confrontation between Hezbollah and the Lebanese judiciary took a dangerous turn. The party has accused Judge Tarek Bitar, who is leading the probe into the Beirut port explosion, of “politicizing the investigation.” In the past few days, the Justice Palace in Beirut has been abuzz with news about the resignation of several judges in protest at the poor conditions the judiciary is experiencing, due to political interference on the one hand and the economic situation on the other.

Former public prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi told Arab News: “What is happening increases the state of disgust within the judicial body. These pressures should not affect the course of the judiciary's work, but how long can the judiciary stand its ground in light of a pressing financial and economic crisis? “Pressure has always been exerted on the judiciary. If the judiciary had surrendered, the judges would have resigned a long time ago. They want to remove Bitar at any cost. They have paralyzed the government and they want to do the same to the judiciary, but the latter has so far been steadfast.” The president of the Fifth Chamber of the Court of Cassation Judge Jeannette Hanna, public defender Judge Carla Kassis, and president of the Court of Appeal Judge Rola Al-Husseini have submitted their resignation. However, the head of the Supreme Judicial Council Judge Suhail Abboud rejected these resignations, asking the judges to “hold back.”

Black Friday in Lebanon: Steeper prices, weak currency, further poverty

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People walk past a poster advertising the Black Friday sales at a mall in Dora, Lebanon November 26, 2021. (Reuters)

By Najia Houssari -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: Black Friday promotions in Lebanon that flooded social media seem to have failed to attract customers as the Lebanese pound hit a new low amid a worsening economic and political stalemate. The currency was trading at 25,000 Lebanese pounds to the dollar on the black market on Friday. A further devaluation seems imminent amid the political instability. Although many stores have extended the sales for the entire weekend, several people who headed to shops in search of good deals said: “It’s a hoax.” Hassan, an engineer, said: “I went to a well-known appliance store where people used to queue for hours to be able to get in during previous Black Friday sales. The prices are much higher than the original brand stores. I left without buying anything.” The minimum wage is now no more than $30, amid worsening economic conditions. The head of the Beirut Traders’ Association, Nicolas Chammas, said: “It is too early to assess Black Friday sales. We need to wait until next week to see to what extent people’s purchasing power has declined.”

On Friday, the Central Bank warned against mobile applications offering exchange rates on the black market: “These are suspicious, illegal applications. Still, they are determining the exchange rate but do not reflect the reality. “Rates change day and night, every day of the week, even during holidays; as if the parallel market is an organized market in the form of a stock exchange. “Those operating these applications are serving other political and commercial interests. The judicial and security authorities have sought to control these applications at the request of the Lebanese government. Since many of them are based outside Lebanon, the Central Bank has demanded that international internet companies remove these applications from their networks.”

Lebanon Re-launches Second Offshore Oil and Gas Round

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Credit: Lebanese Petroleum Administration

by Reuters -- Lebanon re-launched a second offshore oil and gas licensing round for eight remaining blocks on Friday, with the deadline for submission of bids set for June 15, 2022, the Lebanese Petroleum Administration said on its website. The round was initially approved in April 2019 in just two blocks but has been postponed several times, including last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni, and Russia’s Novatek last year completed exploratory drilling in Lebanon's offshore Block 4 off the coast of Beirut and said they had not found a commercially viable amount of hydrocarbons. Planned drilling in southern Block 9, also licensed to the consortium, has been postponed. Lebanon's leaders have said a significant oil and gas find could help the country emerge from its worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 Civil War. The United Nations says eight in 10 people are now in poverty. Proceeds from the sector, however, would take many years to materialize, experts have warned. Reporting by Timour Azhari; Editing by Alison Williams and Philippa Fletcher)