Jihad Azour and Suleiman Frangieh have officially declared their candidacies to be Lebanon's next president and end the seven-month vacuum.
After a five-month hiatus, presidential election sessions will resume on Wednesday. Powerful parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, leader of the Amal Movement, had refused to schedule sessions until at least two serious candidates emerged. In the 11 previous sessions, no person had come anywhere near to reaching the required vote threshold.
It was no secret that Mr Azour and Mr Frangieh were the candidates of key factions within the 128-seat parliament.
Mr Frangieh, the scion of a prominent north Lebanon family and a close friend of Syria's President Bashar Al Assad, has been backed by the powerful Iran-backed armed group and political party Hezbollah and its Shiite ally Amal. But only a small amount of Christian MPs are expected to back him, including his son Tony.
In Lebanon's confessional system, the role of president is reserved for a Maronite Christian.
Mr Azour is backed by Lebanon's largest Christian parties, some of which are traditionally rivals. But they have found a “convergence” around Mr Azour, in their bid to block Mr Frangieh's candidacy.
Officially announcing his candidacy on Monday, Mr Azour – normally a senior official at the International Monetary Fund, although he has taken a leave of absence to avoid accusations of conflict of interest – insisted he was not a “challenge” candidate.
Supporters of Mr Azour say he is not a confrontational candidate, even though Hezbollah insists he is.
The IMF official said in a statement that he wanted to be a candidate of “hope”, especially given how bitterly divided Lebanon is and the economic crisis from which it is suffering, and that he did not descend from an “old political family”.
Announcing his candidacy on Sunday, Mr Frangieh said nothing united his rivals and all they sought to do was boycott him. This argument was repeated on Monday by Mohammad Raad, Hezbollah's parliamentary leader, who said Mr Azour's supporters had backed “a candidate they do not want to see for the presidency of the republic”.
“They only use it to prevent the candidate of [Hezbollah and its allies] to reach this post,” he added.
Mr Frangieh also on Sunday called for dialogue and insisted he did not seek to impose his candidacy on anyone.
But Mr Frangieh, whose grandfather Suleiman was president from 1970-1976, also hit out at his rivals. He said some claimed to want a candidate outside of the ruling classes of Lebanon but instead had backed someone from the heart of the traditional system. Mr Azour was Lebanon's finance minister from 2005-2008.
Mr Frangieh's official declaration was made as he marked the 1978 Ehden massacre, when rival Christian-led fighters attacked the Frangieh home. It led to the death of his parents, his three-year-old sister Jihane and fighters from the Frangieh-led Marada Movement. Some of those political parties opposed to Mr Frangieh's candidacy trace their roots to the militia that attacked his family home.
Announcing his party's support for Mr Frangieh in March, Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah said he was “the natural candidate”. He added that Hezbollah did not want a person who would stab the group “in the back”.
A source within the Amal Movement had also told The National that Mr Frangieh, also a former minister, had the right amount of experience of Lebanese politics.
“He has history, he is respected, he has weight in the Christian community. He has good relations with all Christian communities. He has good relations with Arab countries.”
Backers of Mr Azour point to his role at the IMF, his economic knowledge and his apparent lack of links to corruption.
“He has a deep knowledge of how to get countries in crisis like Lebanon get out of [their] situation,” said Samy Gemayel, leader of the Kataeb Party, a backer of Mr Azour.
“He has the political contacts on the international level, with the West, the US, the IMF, the Europeans. So he has experience on this level,” Mr Gemayel told The National.
“And more than that, he has experience, is someone who held different official positions in the state, and I think that he has good relations with everyone.”
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
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The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
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: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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ABU DHABI T10: DAY TWO
Bangla Tigers v Deccan Gladiators (3.30pm)
Delhi Bulls v Karnataka Tuskers (5.45pm)
Northern Warriors v Qalandars (8.00pm)
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THREE
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Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Celtic Prince, David Liska (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).
7.05pm: Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
7.40pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Grand Argentier, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m
Winner: Arch Gold, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
9.25pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Ibn Malik, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
10pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
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.”
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
Uefa Champions League last 16 draw
Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur
Basel v Manchester City
Sevilla v Manchester United
Porto v Liverpool
Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain
Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma
Chelsea v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Besiktas
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
