Lebanon’s parliamentary elections are “non-negotiable” and essential to “rebuild trust,” the UN's special co-ordinator to the country, Joanna Wronecka, told The National, as local politicians bicker over logistics and food insecurity heightens.
“The predictable and timely conduct of elections is non-negotiable in any democratic state. It is even more important to hold firm to democratic norms and practices and enable citizens to exercise their basic political rights against the background of a deep economic crisis,” said Ms Wronecka.
Her comments come at a crucial time for Lebanon, which is in turmoil nine weeks before its first parliamentary elections since the country's two-year-old economic collapse.
The Ukraine crisis has caused a fuel price increase of 33 per cent in two weeks amid already-soaring inflation and the government is scrambling to make sure the country has enough wheat.
Amid such uncertainty, politicians are squabbling over elections logistics and whether to set up large, centralised voting centres across the country.
Activists have been advocating for them for decades because they would enhance accessibility and transparency.
Former social affairs minister Richard Kouyoumjian on Wednesday accused a rival political party of using these so-called “mega-centres” as an excuse to delay the elections.
It is not unusual for elections in Lebanon to be postponed. Last week, the Cabinet pushed back municipal elections, which were supposed to be held on May 15, by one year.
Debating about mega-centres now only heightens doubts over whether parliamentary elections will take place on time, said Rahaf Abu Shahin, a board member of the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections. The necessary steps to set up megacenters should have been done before February 1.
“It is too late to register people now unless an amendment was made to the electoral law regarding the voters lists,” she said.
Ms Wronecka echoed her views. “Any modality that can meaningfully reduce barriers to political participation is welcome and worth considering,” she said. Yet she added that electoral reform should generally start when previous elections end – in this case back in 2018.
“Discussing electoral changes 70 to 80 days before the elections is not the right approach, because it causes confusion and uncertainty, which undermines the integrity of the electoral process,” said Ms Wronecka.
Additionally, electoral funding has been problematic. There has been no budget since 2020 and parliament has not yet voted one for 2022. Yearly budgets normally include election financing.
Using reserves from the 2020 budget, the government last month transferred 40 billion Lebanese pounds, or $1.8 million at the current market rate, to the Interior Ministry, which oversees the elections.
This is only a fraction of the 300 million Lebanese pounds ($13.6 million) that the Interior Ministry had requested. Anticipating prolonged discussions about the 2022 budget, the government was unwilling to spend its entire reserves on the elections, economists say.
Instead, politicians prepared a separate law to disburse the rest of the money requested by the Interior Ministry, as well as 60 billion Lebanese pounds ($2.7 million) to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which organises elections for Lebanese voting abroad.
But parliament still needs to ratify the law in a general assembly, probably before the end of the month, said MP Alain Aoun.
“We are getting close to the elections' date, and we need to make sure that funds are secured,” he told The National.
For the UN, “it is important that the authorities urgently finalise the electoral budget”, said Ms Wronecka.
“Disbursing the allocated funding resources is crucial so that no shadow of uncertainty hangs over the election.”
'Relying on international donors'
At about $16 million, this year’s electoral budget, although much lower than the $54 million spent in the 2018 elections, should suffice, say analysts.
Most of the money will be spent on civil servants, including public schoolteachers, on election day. With the sharp devaluation of the Lebanese pound, their salaries are now worth “peanuts”, said Fadia Kiwan, professor of political science at Saint Joseph University in Beirut.
“The government expects to be supported by international donors,” she said.
Ministries – like all other state institutions – will have to do more with less
UN special coordinator Joanna Wronecka
The UN’s development programme is providing in-kind support to the Interior Ministry for the elections, including indelible ink, voting booths and ballot boxes.
It has a budget of $8.6 million largely donated by the EU, which is also going towards supporting the constitutional council, responsible for solving electoral disputes, and other bodies.
“Given the limited fiscal space, it is understandable the respective ministries — like all other state institutions — will have to do more with less,” Ms Wronecka said.
Even if properly funded, election specialists say that the elections will take place amid weak oversight in a country where Transparency International previously registered that nearly one in three citizens are offered bribes in exchange for votes.
“We have a lot of reservations on how elections are being prepared,” said Ms Abu Shahin.
The Cabinet allocated the equivalent of about $267,000 to the elections supervisory commission, which its president said is “not enough".
Nadim Abdelmalak previously described the body to The National as a toothless watchdog that was created in 2017 to satisfy the international community.
The UN’s Development Programme is in the process of furnishing the body’s new offices, which will enable the commission’s 30 media observers, paid for by the UN, to start monitoring a campaign that officially started on January 10.
The government waited until February 25 to nominate three missing members of the commission’s board, said Mr Abdel Malak. But they can only start working once President Michel Aoun has signed a decree, which has yet to happen.
Ms Wronecka said the commission needs to be “fully functional to ensure the quality and legitimacy of the 2022 elections”.
“I count on the Lebanese authorities to enable the SCE [commission] in every possible way to this end and square away remaining difficulties,” she said.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
RESULTS
1.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winners: Hyde Park, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
2.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
2.45pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Hurry Up, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.15pm: Shadwell Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 (TB) Dh575,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Blown by Wind, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
3.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh72,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Mazagran, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh64,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner: Obeyaan, Adrie de Vries, Mujeeb Rehman
4.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Pakhtoons 137-6 (10 ov)
Fletcher 68 not out; Cutting 2-14
Sindhis 129-8 (10 ov)
Perera 47; Sohail 2-18
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio
Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)
Engine 4.7L V8
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Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Sunday's games
All times UAE:
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace, 4pm
Manchester City v Arsenal, 6.15pm
Everton v Watford, 8.30pm
Chelsea v Manchester United, 8.30pm
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
NBA Finals results
Game 1: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114
Game 2: Warriors 122, Cavaliers 103
Game 3: Cavaliers 102, Warriors 110
Game 4: In Cleveland, Sunday (Monday morning UAE)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
'Ashkal'
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Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 1 (Cantwell 75') Manchester United 2 (Aghalo 51' 118') After extra time.
Man of the match Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
THREE
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if you go
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday Stuttgart v Cologne (Kick-off 10.30pm UAE)
Saturday RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin (5.30pm)
Mainz v Borussia Monchengladbach (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v SC Freiburg (5.30pm)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (5.30pm)
Sunday Wolfsburg v Arminia (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim (9pm)
Bayer Leverkusen v Augsburg (11.30pm)
