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Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch Urges Government Formation, Presidential Election

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by aawsat.com -- Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai called for the formation of a new government, asserting his rejection of a "caretaker government," "constitutional vacuum," and "presidential vacancy." Speaking after the Maronite Church's Synod of Bishops' spiritual exercise, Rai called on civil and political officials to resolve the issue of the government and prepare for electing a new president without delay. Rai said it is time to decide whether "we are worthy of this nation and its pluralistic composition."

He indicated that the political parties are irresponsible and disregard people's sufferings and the fate of Lebanon." "This is a delicate stage that calls for choosing a credible prime minister who has the experience, knowledge, and wisdom in public affairs capable of forming a cabinet with the President of the Republic as soon as possible to take urgent decisions, the first of which is to initiate vital and expected reforms," asserted the Patriarch. He called on the international community to help Lebanon by finding a solution to the presence of Palestinian refugees and displaced Syrians on Lebanese soil, stressing that "the human and brotherly feelings that we have for these two brotherly peoples do not nullify the national thinking in the interest of Lebanon."

Rai noted that it could not be accepted that many parties, especially at the international level, consider refugees and displaced persons a reality that must be adapted to the point of integration, settlement, and naturalization. He wondered how some countries can claim they are keen on maintaining Lebanon's independence and stability while they work to undermine its unity. "This is a destructive logic that will inevitably undermine Lebanon's unity and force us to confront it to save Lebanon's entity, its current constitution, and its charter formula." He called on the Lebanese state to make an exceptional effort by negotiating with the Palestinian Authority, the Arab League, the United Nations, and major countries to redeploy the refugees in countries capable of accommodating them. He also stressed that the time has come for the displaced Syrians to return and build their homeland.

Lebanon's natural heritage threatened by rampant development

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by middleeasteye.net -- By Marie de La Roche Saint-André in Beirut -- The lack of state regulation of growing urbanisation in Lebanon has led to an anarchic expansion and degradation of the country's natural heritage at a time of chronic political and economic unrest. Lebanon is one of the most urbanised countries in the world: 88.76 percent of its population is living in or near existing built-up areas, according to a UN report. The report, published in 2021 by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), attributes the problem partly to the fact that the Lebanese state has had a "laissez-faire" policy when it comes to development, but it also highlights a number of other factors that aggravate the situation. These include limited local planning regulations and the absence of urban policies, the formation of informal, slum-like, areas on the outskirts of cities, the illicit use of public properties, alongside the progressive loss of green spaces, natural resources, and biodiversity.

The phenomenon is not new. As early as the 1950s, there was already an increase in illegal construction due to urban pressure, the influx of mainly internal refugees, and an unstable political context. The irregular district of Ghobeiry in the southern suburbs of Beirut bears particular witness to this phenomenon. After the crisis of 1958, which was caused by political and religious tensions, the district suffered its first wave of public land occupation. The Lebanese civil war (1975-1990) exacerbated the problem under the command of the municipality led by the Shiite Amal movement, in particular, because of the influx of refugees. Where bordered by the sea, slums now stretch for several kilometres along the coast.

Minister Sejaan Azzi: سلامٌ بالتقسيط أو حربٌ بالغلط

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سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

قد تكونُ المفاوضاتُ حولَ الثروةِ النَفطيّةِ والغازيّةِ بين لبنان وإسرائيل نَجحت وانتَهت قبلَ أن تبدأَ ما دام لبنانُ تخلّى عن اعتمادِ الخطِّ 29 وعن المطالبةِ بحِصّةٍ في حقلِ "كاريش". والتوقيعُ على الاتفاقِ صار مسألةَ وقتٍ تُحدّدُه ملابساتُ الاستحقاقاتِ الحكوميّةِ والرئاسيّةِ في لبنان والتطوّراتُ الإقليميّةُ والدوليّةُ المتدافِعة.

وقد تكون الحربُ أيضًا بين إسرائيل وحزبِ الله وَقعَت وانتهَت. ولائحةُ رئيسِ أركانِ الجيشِ الإسرائيليِّ أڤيڤ كوخاڤي (12 حزيران) التي عدّدَ فيها الدمارَ المنتظَر أن يَلحَقَ بلبنان، هي بَيانُ ختامِ الحربِ لا بَيانَ إعلانِها. وهكذا كان خِطابُ التهديدِ الذي شَهرَه السيّد حسن نصرالله في وَجهِ إسرائيل (09 حزيران). بالتالي، يكون نصرالله وكوخاڤي على "عِلمٍ مُسبَقٍ" بالأهوالِ التي ستَنتُجُ عن حربٍ بالغَلَط اليومَ أو عن حربٍ مقرَّرةٍ لاحقًا.

الإشكاليّةُ أنَّ اندلاعَ العنفِ في الجَنوبِ ليس قرارًا لبنانيًّا وإسرائيليًّا فقط، بل تُشاركنا فيه إيران التي تَستخدمُ لبنانَ ورقةَ ضغطٍ في مفاوضاتِها وصِراعاتها مع أميركا وإسرائيل. لذلك يَقتضي الحذَرُ حيالَ المفاوضاتِ والحربِ، عِلمًا أنَّ الدولَ المعنيّةَ بالحربِ في لبنان والمِنطقة (إسرائيل وإيران وأميركا) لا تريدُ الحربَ، فيما الدولُ التي لا تُحاربُ تريدُها.

إنَّ امتناعَ حزبِ الله عن القيامِ بعملٍ عسكريٍّ، لن يوقِفَ، بالضرورةِ، إسرائيلَ عن استخراجِ الغازِ من حقلِ "كاريش"، إنّما يُعفيها من القيامِ بعملٍ عسكريٍّ لضمانِ استخراجِه. بينما قد يَرتَــئي حزبُ الله القيامَ بذلك في حالِ اعتَبر نفسَه، لا الدولةَ اللبنانيّةَ، مرجِعيّةَ القرارِ في ترسيمِ الخطوطِ والحدود، في حالِ واصلت إسرائيلُ استخراجَ الغاز من "كاريش" قبل انتهاءِ المفاوضاتِ الإسرائيليّةِ/اللبنانيّةِ برعايةِ الولاياتِ المتّحدَةِ الأميركيّة. إنَّ واشنطن عاجزةٌ عن إقناعِ إسرائيل بتجميدِ عمليّةِ الاستخراجِ إلى حين تنتهي المفاوضات، لكنّها قادرةٌ على إقناعِها بأن تقومَ السفينةُ "إنرجين باور" بعملِها وهي راسيةٌ جنوبيَّ الخطِّ 29 (نظريّةُ الشَفْط). هذا يعني عمليًّا أن حقلَ "كاريش" صار حُكمًا خارجَ إطارِ المفاوضات وتَـمّ التسليمُ به لإسرائيل.

بعيدًا عن شعارِ "وِحدة الموقِفِ اللبنانيّ"، التنازلاتُ التي قدّمَتها الدولةُ اللبنانيّةُ ـــ بتسهيلِ الثنائيِّ الشيعيِّ وعينَيه الساهرتَين ـــ متقدِّمةٌ، لكنّها غيرُ كافيةٍ لانتزاعِ موافقةِ إسرائيل عليها ولاستئنافِ الاجتماعاتِ اللبنانيّةِ/الإسرائيليّةِ في الناقورة التي توقَّفَت في الرابعِ من أيّار 2021. والخَشيةُ أن تناورَ إسرائيل فتُميِّزَ بين الطرحِ الإطارِ الذي أبلَغه رئيسُ الجُمهوريّةِ ميشال عون قبلَ يومين إلى الموفَدِ الأميركيّ، والاتّفاقِ الإطارِ الذي عرضَه رئيسُ مجلس النواب نبيه برّي باسم لبنان سنةَ 2020، خصوصًا أنَّ بِرّي أعاد التذكيرَ به أمام هوكشتاين واعتبرَه المرجعيّةَ الفُضلى.

Lebanon turns to solar power as energy crisis deepens

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by arabnews.com -- Najia Houssari -- BEIRUT: Lebanon’s economic collapse means that the Lebanese people are now responsible for sourcing their own electricity for most of the day, every day. Many of them are now turning to solar power — previously seen as a luxury — as a solution. Lebanese citizens do, at least, have some experience with securing their own power: For the past 40 years, the country’s patchy electricity supply has meant that 24-hour power was almost impossible to come by, so the majority of Lebanese are familiar with having to use private generators to access electricity during the country’s frequent power cuts. Plans on which billions of dollars were spent were largely ruined by political disputes and, despite the warnings of the international community, the Ministry of Energy took no action to rectify the situation. According to Bassam Mawlawi, minister of interior in Lebanon’s caretaker government, the ministry had to pay $160,000 to secure electricity for the parliamentary elections that took place last month.

Lebanon has been regularly plunged into darkness recently because of skyrocketing fuel prices resulting from the increase in the dollar exchange rate. The situation was exacerbated when the Lebanese state began to remove fuel subsidies and international fuel prices rose because of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Along with an increase in network failures, infrastructure theft has only made things worse. Considering Lebanon’s long history of power outages, it is perhaps surprising that many Lebanese are only now beginning to view solar power as an ideal solution to their energy issues. Travel around Beirut, the surrounding mountains and the Bekaa valley, and you will now see solar panels on many rooftops and balconies — even though the internal security forces have repeatedly warned against setting up solar panels without an agreement between building residents, in an attempt to limit disputes. But since solar energy allows people to be self-sufficient and spares them the costs of private generators — the fees for which can be prohibitively expensive since there is no real oversight of the industry — those warnings are falling on deaf ears.

Lebanon: Opposition Searches for Competitor to Mikati to Lead Next Government

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Beirut - Caroline Akoum -- aawsat.com -- Less than a week before the binding parliamentary consultations to nominate a prime minister, caretaker Premier Najib Mikati remains the most favorable candidate, while the opposition parliamentary blocs are trying to agree on another figure. President Michel Aoun has announced that the consultations would be held on Thursday at the Baabda Palace, amid criticism that the delay in setting the date was due to attempts to tailor the government before the appointment of a new premier. However, sources close to the Lebanese presidency denied the claims, telling Asharq Al-Awsat: “The reason for giving an extra week to set the date for consultations is the lack of clarity in the positions of the parliamentary blocs… Therefore, the time interval between [Aoun’s] invitation and the date of consultations is to allow the blocs to consult and study the matter…”

Meanwhile, sources in the Lebanese Forces noted that contacts were underway between all parliamentary opposition blocs to adopt a single candidate for the premiership. In this regard, sources familiar with the position of the Progressive Socialist Party told Asharq Al-Awsat that if the opposition succeeded in agreeing on the name of one candidate, the deputies of the Democratic Gathering Bloc would support them. “But if they fail to do so, the bloc may nominate Mikati,” they said.

Court sentences two Hezbollah members to life imprisonment over Rafic Hariri assassination

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by middleeastmonitor.com -- A special UN-backed court has found two members of the Hezbollah militant organisation guilty for the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafic Hariri in 2005, sentencing them to life imprisonment in absentia, after 13 years of investigations into the matter. In the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's (STL) hearing today, its head – Czech judge, Ivana Hrdličková – made a final decision on the cases of Hezbollah members, Habib Merhi and Hussein Oneissi, handing down life sentences to the two men. The STL, based in the Netherlands and funded by Lebanon and other donor countries, was set up in 2009 to investigate the killing of Hariri and find those guilty of his assassination four years prior, in a bombing which also resulted in the deaths of 21 others and the injury of 226 people. The ruling comes two years after the STL initially cleared Merhi, Oneissi, and another suspect named Assad Hassan Sabra of any charges. Instead, it sentenced another man named Salim Ayyash to life imprisonment. Back then, it stated that there was no direct evidence of the involvement of Syria or its ally, Hezbollah, in the assassination.

In March this year, however, after significant outcry in parts of Lebanon and an appeal by prosecutors, the court rescinded that decision and found the two Hezbollah members guilty. The original and previous trial judges, it said, had "erred". Ayyash, on the other hand, was acquitted and will likely not be held to trial again due to the STL's serious lack of funding. With its overall cost throughout the past 13 years being estimated to amounting to between $600 million and $1 billion, the STL has warned that it will close imminently, due to the shortage of funds. Its ruling in March and decision today were likely its last moves. Merhi, Oneissi, and Ayyash are all currently in hiding and Hezbollah has refused to hand them over, meaning the former two were sentenced in absentia.

Lebanon’s caretaker PM tipped as favorite to form next government

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by Najia Houssari -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Aoun will hold binding consultations with members of the country’s recently elected parliament to name a new prime minister on June 23. Caretaker PM Najib Mikati is widely seen as the front-runner for the post. Once named, the new prime minister must form a government, a process that often takes several months. However, the incoming government will last for only four months, as its term will end with the completion of the presidential term in October. After Saad Hariri, leader of the Future Movement, declared the suspension of his political career and that of his party, political groups began looking for a Sunni figure who could be nominated to head the new government.

By convention, the prime minister of Lebanon is a Sunni Muslim. Independent Sunni MP Abdul Rahman Al-Bizri told Arab News that the nomination of a new premier is still underway and talks are taking place between various groups “to reach a formula that is relieving for Lebanon.” He said: “We are living through tough times and the traditional political forces tend to renominate the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.” A political observer said that this week might witness political deals to form the government due to “the weakness of the Sunnis in the political equation.”

A meeting on Wednesday between the Grand Mufti of Lebanon Abdullatif Darian and Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari assumed special significance as it coincided with the launch of the process to nominate the new premier. Bukhari highlighted “the important role of the grand mufti in strengthening the unity of the Lebanese and Islamic stance, especially during the hard times Lebanon is passing through.” He said that Saudi Arabia hopes to see the “unity of the people of Lebanon in front of the challenges that it is facing,” and praised the efforts of the mufti to guarantee national unity and ensure civil peace in the country.