Lebanese elections 2022: everything you need to know


Sunniva Rose
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Voting has already begun in this year's Lebanese parliamentary elections.

More than 130,000 Lebanese expatriates living in 48 countries voted in the May 15 general election at the weekend.

Lebanon held its last national election in 2018, the country’s first vote since the outbreak of the 2011 civil war in neighbouring Syria.

Here is all you need to know about the elections.

When are the Lebanese parliamentary elections?

Lebanese citizens are given the chance to elect a new parliament, comprised of 128 members, every four years. In past decades, elections have been pushed back multiple times, but they are taking place as scheduled this year amid intense pressure from the international community.

Voting will take place in a single session on May 15. Voters must be at least 21 years old, with candidates over 25. The country is divided into 15 electoral districts.

Due to the sectarian nature of Lebanese politics, candidates must run on a seat that matches one of the country’s 18 recognised religious groups.

Lebanon’s 2018 electoral law stipulates that a candidate is elected if they meet the minimum electoral threshold. This is calculated by dividing the number of voters by the number of candidates.

Voters vote for an entire list of candidates — not for a single person. But voters also have the choice to cast a second vote for a preferred candidate, which will bolster their chances of making it into parliament.

The Interior Ministry organises in-country elections and oversees a supervisory commission. Created in 2017, the commission is widely viewed as toothless and unable to address widespread voter buying and intimidation.

The Lebanese are automatically registered to vote as long as they are of age. In the last election in 2018, 49 per cent of registered voters cast their ballots.

Who are the candidates?

Most of Lebanon’s traditional parties have put forward candidates for the 2022 election. Shiite political party and militant group Hezbollah has presented most of the MPs that won seats in 2018, with its parliamentary leader Muhammed Raad among those running again. Nabih Berri, the leader of Hezbollah’s ally Amal and parliamentary speaker since 1992, is also seeking reelection.

Gebran Bassil, the controversial son in law of President Michel Aoun, and his Free Patriotic Movement are also running. So too is the Lebanese Forces, the Christian-led party and staunch critic of Hezbollah. Sethrida Geagea, wife of party leader Samir Geagea, is among those presented by the LF.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, however, has withdrawn from politics and his Future Movement is not putting forward any candidates. Prime Minister Najib Mikati is also not running, but has sponsored a list in his native Tripoli. It leaves a potential votes vacuum in Lebanon’s second city.

What is special about this year’s election?

Lebanon has gone through major shocks in recent years, further exacerbating long-term weaknesses that include almost non-existent basic state services such as electricity.

In 2019, the Lebanese pound started to slip for the first time in 22 years. It is now worth around 90 per cent less than the official peg to the dollar, which remains officially in place but is not used for everyday transactions.

This means that people who earn in Lebanese pounds have seen their salaries nosedive. In parallel, commercial banks have enforced illegal capital controls as the central bank has restricted their access to dollars.

The restructuring of the banking sector, which the central bank governor has refused to describe as insolvent, is at the centre of protracted discussions with the IMF for a bailout package.

Today, nearly three quarters of the population lives in poverty, according to the UN. More and more desperate Lebanese are attempting the highly dangerous boat crossing to Cyprus, hoping to reach Europe. Dozens died when a boat sank off the coast of Tripoli in late April.

In August 2020, Lebanon’s capital Beirut was hit by one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in recent history. Hundreds of tonnes of poorly stocked chemicals exploded at the port, killing at least 215 people and wounding thousands.

Lebanon’s political class has united to block the work of investigative judge Tarek Bitar. Public anger about the probe led to deadly clashes in Beirut in October and has further polarised Lebanese society.

New, nonsectarian political parties are trying to capitalise on public anger against traditional political parties to secure parliamentary seats. But the opposition has failed to unite and is competing on multiple electoral lists across the country. Coupled with an electoral law which favours entrenched parties, this means the opposition has little chance of securing a decisive win on May 15.

What about the Lebanese diaspora?

About 130,000 Lebanese living in 48 countries voted at the weekend. That is nearly three times more than in 2018, when Lebanese citizens were allowed to vote for the first time at polling stations outside their home country.

The Lebanese diaspora is estimated to be roughly double the size of the country’s domestic population of 4 million.

The state-run National News Agency reported on Sunday evening that the highest voting rate was in Abu Dhabi, where 77 per cent of Lebanese voted, but turnout was much lower in Latin America, at under 10 per cent.

Ovo's tips to find extra heat
  • Open your curtains when it’s sunny 
  • Keep your oven open after cooking  
  • Have a cuddle with pets and loved ones to help stay cosy 
  • Eat ginger but avoid chilli as it makes you sweat 
  • Put on extra layers  
  • Do a few star jumps  
  • Avoid alcohol   
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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8

Power: 611bhp

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TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
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UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

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March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi

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Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

Size: 450 employees

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Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

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Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
While you're here
Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Coming soon

Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura

When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Akira Back Dubai

Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as,  “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems. 

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes

Cheat’s nigiri 
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.

Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.

Deconstructed sushi salad platter 
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

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Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

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Updated: May 13, 2022, 7:10 AM`