A question that Lebanon’s Maronite Christian community must seriously ask itself today is whether the country’s presidency, which is reserved for Maronites in the Lebanese system of sectarian power-sharing, is an advantage or has become a liability. It has been almost a year since there has been a vacancy in the presidency, and parliament (which elects presidents) remains deeply divided over a successor.
Every presidential election in the past 15 years has pushed Lebanon to a major crisis point. In 2007, disagreement over who would succeed Emile Lahoud led to a six-month vacuum and a short military confrontation in Beirut and the mountains, followed by a conference in Doha, at which Michel Suleiman was approved as president. In 2014, when Mr Suleiman’s term ended, divergences over a successor resulted in a two-year hiatus, until a consensus emerged to elect Michel Aoun. With Mr Aoun gone, again the country finds itself incapable of agreeing on who should come after him.
In other words, the presidency, the office that is supposed to highlight the uniqueness of Lebanon as an Arab country where Christians can be elected as head of state, now mainly underlines the community’s weakness because of all the parties that seek to manipulate the elections in their interests.
Every day that goes by without a president shows how vulnerable the office is to political dissension in the country. And every day that Lebanon continues to function more or less normally without a president in office, shows that a president is really not indispensable. Neither conclusion is good for Christians, many of whom are now openly calling for a new political structure in Lebanon that would separate the sects.
But Christians do retain some leverage. The major Christian parties – the Lebanese Forces, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), and the smaller Kataeb Party – have all opposed Hezbollah’s choice of Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency. If Mr Franjieh cannot secure backing from the Lebanese Forces or FPM in particular, he would lack Christian legitimacy, and could probably not be elected. This has forced Hezbollah to find a way to divide the Christians and secure backing from one of the blocs.
The problem, however, is elsewhere. For many Maronites, Hezbollah’s choosing a president, and then manoeuvring one of the major Christian parties to endorse the decision, denies Maronites the right to make that choice themselves. Just as the Shiite community has always imposed a Shiite speaker of parliament without consulting other communities, Maronites feel that this should hold for their choice of president.
There is logic in the argument, even if it underlines the extent to which Lebanon has become a federation of sects rather than a unified, if pluralistic, country in which sects coexist. The president and speaker are national figures, elected by a sectarian cross-section of parliament, so giving their communities a primary choice in their selection is a constitutional perversion. However, the constitution has been fully undermined under the current system and Hezbollah has used sectarian logic to impose Nabih Berri as speaker since 1992. So, it makes no sense for the party to deny Maronites the same latitude.
More damagingly for Maronites, just as the presidency has come to reflect the community’s declining power in Lebanon, it has become an illusory life raft for their relevance. Under the post-Taif constitution, the presidency lost much of its power in favour of the prime minister and speaker of parliament. In these circumstances, it would be preferable for the major communities to rotate posts, so that there is turnover in senior offices of the state and all the leading sects can benefit from the advantages of each.
In this way, Maronites would still have access to the presidency, a key component of communal self-confidence, but would also hold other offices in the state, sometimes more influential ones. Nothing prevents Lebanon’s political class from introducing such an innovation in its constitution, without requiring major changes in other senior posts.
This is just one of the steps that could be taken to break out of the self-destructive Maronite attachment to a presidency that has become more a source of Maronite debility than potency. The worst option is for Maronite leaders to say that, because their community is losing power nationally, communal separation is the best outcome.
Indeed, in negotiations between the FPM and Hezbollah over the price FPM leader Gebran Bassil would demand in exchange for endorsing Mr Franjieh, Mr Bassil floated a quid pro quo. He demanded administrative and financial decentralisation for Christian-majority areas, in exchange for backing Hezbollah’s candidate.
What this effectively meant was that Mr Bassil gave Hezbollah the power to choose the president it wanted, in return for which Maronites would reduce their ties to the central state. Many Maronites would welcome this, but the risks are enormous. It would mean the community creates a precedent of giving Hezbollah the choice of a head of state, therefore the power to define Lebanon’s future as a commonwealth, for which Maronites would only receive a precarious autonomy that the central government could dial up and down at will.
Panic usually generates bad choices, and that is what we are seeing today within the Maronite community, which is marked by disarray. The reason for this is its desire to retain the presidency at all costs, the source of its internal quarrels. It’s time for the community to think outside the box and preserve what remains of its most valuable weapon: communal unity.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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.
ALL THE RESULTS
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmomdov (TJK) bt Rey Nacionales (PHI) by decision.
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) bt Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR) by submission.
Catch 74kg
Omar Hussein (JOR) bt Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) by decision.
Strawweight (Female)
Seo Ye-dam (KOR) bt Weronika Zygmunt (POL) by decision.
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) bt Walid Laidi (ALG) by TKO.
Lightweight
Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) bt Leandro Martins (BRA) by TKO.
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) bt Sofiane Benchohra (ALG) by TKO.
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR) no contest.
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) bt Glen Ranillo (PHI) by TKO round 1.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) bt Aidan Aguilera (AUS) by TKO round 1.
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) bt Sasha Palatkinov (HKG) by TKO round 1.
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) by KO round 1.
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.
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
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Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
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Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
HOW TO WATCH
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Twitter: @thenationalnews
Instagram: @thenationalnews.com
TikTok: @thenationalnews
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
