Lama Ramadan is 33, but Lebanon’s parliamentary elections on Sunday will be the first time she has voted in polls that come as the country grapples with a range of competing crises.
A brand strategist she was an activist in the 2019 protests against Lebanon’s leaders that led to the collapse of the government.
Having not voted in the previous Lebanese election, in 2018, now Ms Ramadan is urging her compatriots to seek a better future through the ballot box and ignore those who say it won't change anything.
She hopes that the election on Sunday can usher in a new wave of politicians independent from the traditional parties that have ruled since the end of the civil war in 1990.
“It’s my first time as a voter because I didn't believe that there was a credible candidate before that. And honestly, I know some of the individuals that are running and I believe that they are honest individuals who want to bring change, who want to bring accountability.
“And I think that it's our time now to prove a point that we want to make a change, that we want to improve this country and we want to work together as a whole team,” said Ms Ramadan, who will be voting in Jezzine in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon has been gripped by a devastating economic collapse that became apparent in 2019 and caused the local currency to lose more than 90 per cent of its value against the US dollar. A blast in August 2020 at Beirut’s port, which killed at least 214 people, is regarded as a symptom of the endemic corruption and mismanagement in Lebanon and the negligence of its top officials.
Ms Ramadan spoke from her office in Beirut’s leafy upmarket Sursock neighbourhood, much of which was destroyed by the explosion.
“Unfortunately, everything was destroyed here. Luckily, no one was at the office. But everything was a mess and it took us months to repair again, and it's like part of the Lebanese DNA to rebuild, over and over again.”
So far, no one has been held accountable for the blast.
Asked what she felt was the most pressing issue, Ms Ramadan said the lack of accountability in Lebanon — in regards to the blast, but also more generally across the country.
“So we have many, many issues here. Firstly, personally, I believe that the lack of accountability is key because if we resolved that, it's going to be like a domino effect. If we tackle the lack of accountability it is going to create this very good effect on several other issues because they are already connected.”
I believe that the lack of accountability is key because if we resolved that, it's going to be like a domino effect
On the day of the blast, Ms Ramadan and her colleagues were not in the office because of Covid-19, but she says the blast “shook us” and “created something that we cannot forget”.
“For me, it was like the death of the country. It was something that really hurt us to the core. It made us feel that we lost a lot — we lost ourselves, we lost the country, we lost a lot of individuals that we didn't know — we felt that we knew them, but we lost them. And it was very painful and we cannot forget. It made us very disoriented.
“Until now it is not something that we can forget. So I think that bringing accountability and just putting the people that are culpable behind [bars] or seeing something that's right in front of us bringing justice. It’s very necessary for our healing. You know, it's collective healing that we need.”
Politicians have managed to delay the investigation into the blast, in which hundreds of tonnes of chemicals exploded seven years after being delivered and stored at at the port.
“It’s our right to know,” Ms Ramadan said. “I believe if we don't have an answer, it's always going to be something that will stay, like a mark that will stay, for generations to come."
She believes that justice and change can be achieved on Sunday. “We're hoping for that. And I think it's a long journey, it's a marathon. It's not something that will happen overnight. It's a step-by-step thing, but we need to be very persistent and very dedicated to our cause.”
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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.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
THREE
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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.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company%20profile
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HAJJAN
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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