Lebanon’s prime minister-designate is still deciding whether he can form a cabinet or will withdraw his nomination, former premier Fouad Siniora told The National on Thursday.
It came amid a flurry of reports that Saad Hariri would step down imminently amid a deepening political and economic crisis.
“We’re not at this stage yet,” Mr Siniora said, following reports that Mr Hariri was losing hope of achieving a breakthrough in Cabinet formation talks with President Michel Aoun nine months after his nomination to be the prime minister. Lebanon has been without a functioning government since Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned after the August 4 explosion at Beirut port that destroyed much of the capital and killed more than 200 people.
Were Mr Hariri to withdraw, a simple parliamentary majority – currently held by the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies – would be needed to name the successor, Mr Siniora said. Mr Siniora used to head Mr Hariri's Future Movement parliamentary bloc.
“Assuming that the prime minister-designate decides to step down … without suggesting another candidate, democratic norms should be respected,” Mr Siniora said. "They have a parliamentary majority, so let them form a government."
Mr Hariri has been at loggerheads with the president over the make-up of the government and its reform agenda and has accused Mr Aoun of blocking the formation of an administration of independent experts that commits to the implementation of reforms in exchange for international financial support.
Mr Aoun, on the other hand, has argued that Mr Hariri is seeking to dictate the line-up to the president in violation of the constitution, a position that Mr Siniora strongly disputed.
“The president has the right to discuss cabinet’s line-up with the prime minister-designate but it is the latter who bears responsibility towards parliament,” Mr Siniora said.
The constitution requires the Cabinet to secure a vote of confidence in parliament after both the president and the prime minister-designate sign off on the line-up.
Mr Siniora went further, accusing Hezbollah and the president of blocking the Cabinet formation.
The former prime minister said Hezbollah was behind the president’s uncompromising position in blocking it in an attempt to give Iran leverage in its continuing nuclear and sanctions negotiations with the US.
Mr Aoun wants Hezbollah's guarantee that it will support a presidential bid by his son-in-law and head of the largest parliamentary bloc, MP Gebran Bassil, in the coming 2022 presidential race, Rosana Bou Monsef, a political analyst, told The National.
Despite being targeted with US sanctions over corruption last year, Mr Bassil has maintained a strong alliance with Hezbollah. The armed group has played a key role in Mr Aoun’s election as president in 2016, despite strong opposition from the party’s key Shiite ally, Speaker Nabih Berri.
The Speaker has been vocal in his support for Mr Hariri’s bid to form a Cabinet and has reportedly asked the prime minister-designate to nominate a successor if he plans to step down.
Mr Aoun, on the other hand, is awaiting Mr Hariri’s final decision based on the outcome of discussions with Mr Berri, a source close to the president told The National.
Whether such an agreement materialises remains to be seen, Mrs Bou Monsef said.
“Mr Hariri’s withdrawal as prime minister-designate under pressure from Hezbollah and the president is problematic because it undermines the Saudi-Syrian sponsored Taif accord – the agreement which was backed by major powers and ended Lebanon’s 15-year bloody civil war some three decades ago.”
The accord marked a shift in the country’s confessional power-sharing system with some of the key roles entrusted to the president, a post reserved for a Maronite, transferred to the government, led by a Sunni prime minister.
President Aoun, who opposed the accord at the time, has maintained the same position since his election, Mr Siniora said.
Lebanon is now facing one of two choices, Mr Siniora said.
“Either Lebanon forms a Cabinet of independent and qualified experts that win the confidence of the people and the international community or one to the liking of politicians. Under the latter scenario, the cabinet will be born dead.”
The months-long political deadlock, which has deepened the worst economic and financial crisis to grip the country since late 2019, prompted major powers to extend humanitarian aid directly to the most vulnerable communities and to threaten Lebanon’s political leaders with sanctions for obstructing the Cabinet formation
The Lebanese crisis was the focus of discussions between the US and French Ambassadors to Lebanon and Saudi officials during a visit to the kingdom on Thursday.
Mr Bou Monsef said the meetings are likely to prioritise direct aid to the impoverished population as well as financial support to the army and security forces in a bid to avoid security instability as the crisis worsens.
The crisis, which plunged more than half the population into poverty and led to the national currency losing over 95 per cent of its value, has raised concerns over the cohesiveness of security institutions and the military.
The challenging circumstances prompted Lebanon's army chief to warn of the 'inevitable' collapse of the military without urgent aid at a French-sponsored conference in May.
General Joseph Aoun told representatives of major powers that the military needs the international community’s urgent support to keep carrying out its duties, warning that its “collapse” will fuel chaos and insecurity across Lebanon.
His remarks coincided with a marked increase in armed scuffles as the Lebanese struggle with daily shortages in vital supplies of fuel and medication amid dwindling foreign currencies.
“Maintaining stability and security is now a priority for major powers as Lebanese officials completely abandoned their responsibilities in addressing the crisis that they fuelled,” Mrs Bou Monsef said of the US and French ambassadors’ visit to Saudi Arabia to discuss the Lebanon situation.
The diplomats’ visit to Saudi Arabia follows a meeting on Lebanon in June on the sidelines of the G-20 conference between US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
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: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
Premier League results
Saturday
Crystal Palace 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 2
Cardiff City 2 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Bournemouth 2
Leicester City 3 Fulham 1
Newcastle United 3 Everton 2
Southampton 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Manchester City 3 Watford 1
Sunday
Liverpool 4 Burnley 2
Chelsea 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Emiratisation at work
Emiratisation was introduced in the UAE more than 10 years ago
It aims to boost the number of citizens in the workforce particularly in the private sector.
Growing the number of Emiratis in the workplace will help the UAE reduce dependence on overseas workers
The Cabinet in December last year, approved a national fund for Emirati jobseekers and guaranteed citizens working in the private sector a comparable pension
President Sheikh Khalifa has described Emiratisation as “a true measure for success”.
During the UAE’s 48th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa named education, entrepreneurship, Emiratisation and space travel among cornerstones of national development
More than 80 per cent of Emiratis work in the federal or local government as per 2017 statistics
The Emiratisation programme includes the creation of 20,000 new jobs for UAE citizens
UAE citizens will be given priority in managerial positions in the government sphere
The purpose is to raise the contribution of UAE nationals in the job market and create a diverse workforce of citizens
Company%20profile
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Vikram%20Vedha
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Gayatri%2C%20Pushkar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hrithik%20Roshan%2C%20Saif%20Ali%20Khan%2C%20Radhika%20Apte%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
