Prominent Lebanese civilians have called for President Michel Aoun to resign to prevent “complete socio-economic collapse”, after two nights of protests over the currency’s decline.
Lebanon is undergoing one of its worst economic crises since colonial powers carved the country out of the remnants of the Ottoman Empire in 1920. The crisis sparked renewed demonstrations that partly turned violent in Beirut and Tripoli this month.
A declaration signed by more than 100 independent figures said a replacement for Mr Aoun should be drawn from the peaceful component of the country's protest movement “to halt the collapse of Lebanon”, which they attributed to the president’s “political choices and positions”.
The declaration, an advanced copy of which was sent to The National, amounts to a rare, cross-community move against Mr Aoun, 85.
The Maronite former army chief refers to himself as “father of all the Lebanese”. Under Lebanon’s sectarian quota system, the president has to be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister Sunni and the parliamentary speaker Shiite.
The signatories, including top jurists, business people, rights campaigners, journalists and literary figures, said Mr Aoun’s resignation would need to be accompanied by a new government and the replacement of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to bring “hope to Lebanese citizens”.
A warlord during the 1975-1990 civil war, Mr Berri was installed as speaker 28 years ago by the late Syrian president Hafez Al Assad when Lebanon was under the sway of Damascus.
“The Lebanese Republic is condemned to total paralysis until all the symbols of corruption are definitively removed from power,” the declaration said.
Publisher Jamil Mroueh signed the declaration, as did novelist Jabbour Douaihy, American University of Beirut professor Ridwan Al Sayyed and Harvard professor Christiane Ferran.
Its signatories also include Lina Hamdan, founder of the Beirut Forum, an umbrella group of civil organisations, Selim Muzannar, a jeweller at the vanguard of a movement among Lebanon’s business community to support civil society in recent years, and Micky Chebli, a veteran banker-turned-philanthropist.
The signatories said they supported an earlier declaration by 27 Maronites who called for the removal of President Aoun but only through peaceful means. Geneva hedge fund magnate Philippe Jabre, jurist Shukri Sader, and law professor Chibli Mallat, author of Philosophy of Nonviolence, signed the Maronite statement, as well as Fares Soueid, scion of a nationalist political family and an outspoken critic of Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s immensely wealthy Maronite Church has tacitly backed Mr Aoun since a deal between Hezbollah and former prime minister Saad Al Hariri brought Mr Aoun to the presidency in 2016.
But the Maronite patriarch, Beshara Rai, made rare criticism of the government on Sunday for allowing what he termed saboteurs last week to disrupt demonstrators who he said had legitimate grievances.
He told a Sunday sermon that the government, the most closely tied with Hezbollah since the Iranian-backed group was founded in the 1980s, should confront such saboteurs but also respond to the street’s demands for reform.
Mr Rai was referring to looting in central Beirut after Hezbollah supporters descended on the protests and exchanged sectarian insults with Sunni demonstrators on June 6.
A sharp fall in the Lebanese currency to 5,000 pounds against the US dollar sparked demonstrations in parts of the country the same day, six months after the authorities crushed a peaceful uprising demanding the removal of the entire political class.
The prime minister, Hassan Diab, blamed the currency’s fall on what he termed manipulators, and hinted at an unspecified conspiracy to bring him down.
The Lebanese currency was trading at 4,000 pounds to the dollar at the start of this month.
The pound’s value was aligned for decades with an official peg 1,501 pounds to the dollar, which collapsed late last year, ahead of the government defaulting on $30 billion (Dh110.2bn) of foreign debt.
More Shiites, the bedrock of support for Hezbollah, joined the demonstrators in recent days. In the mostly Shiite city of Baalbek, shops closed this week in protest over the deteriorating economy.
But the interests of many of the Shiite demonstrators and the rest of the protesters seem to diverge.
The Shiite component has focused on demanding the removal of central bank governor Riad Salameh.
Slogans by the rest of the demonstrators, such as “all of them means all of them”, indicated a dismantling of the entire political class they blame for Lebanon’s descent into financial ruin.
Mr Hariri’s father, the late statesman Rafik Hariri, brought Mr Salameh, a former banker at Merrill Lynch, back from the diaspora in the 1990s to become head of Banque du Liban, the central bank.
Mr Salameh has become a bete noire for Hezbollah in the past decade for leading Lebanon’s compliance with US sanctions, mainly against two local banks linked with the Shiite group.
The political deal that brought Mr Aoun to power stipulated that he would not touch Mr Salameh. But the uprising forced Mr Hariri to step down in October, leaving Mr Salameh without any active political backing in the government.
The government pushed for central bank vice-governorship appointments last week that could undermine Mr Salameh, prompting the strongest criticism yet from Mr Hariri, who retains his position at the top of Lebanon's Sunni political hierarchy despite Hezbollah’s promotion of Mr Diab.
Mr Hariri said the appointments had only worsened the country's chances of securing a rescue from international financial organisations.
The political economy of Lebanon since independence in the 1940s has been largely the intellectual legacy of Lebanese banker and statesman Michel Chiha.
Chiha, who died in the 1950s, sought to harness the country’s sectarian diversity and make Lebanon an exception in a region where military dictatorships were on the verge of smothering potential democracies across the Middle East.
He championed the Lebanese system of “consensual democracy”. But the system was underpinned by a laissez faire economic model he promoted that made Lebanon the financial and business hub of the Middle East.
Lebanon partly regained its glamour after the civil war, but only till the 2005 assassination of Rafik Hariri, who was well connected around the world.
The prominent Lebanese civilians said on Sunday that they would be willing to work “in as broad a national, Arab and international framework as possible” to respond positively to the “ongoing Lebanese revolution”.
Highly accomplished in their own fields, they are not lacking in connections. But a deepening slump in the economy could make it hard for anyone to extract Lebanon from its crisis.
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
%3Cp%3ECory%20Sandhagen%20v%20Umar%20Nurmagomedov%0D%3Cbr%3ENick%20Diaz%20v%20Vicente%20Luque%0D%3Cbr%3EMichael%20Chiesa%20v%20Tony%20Ferguson%0D%3Cbr%3EDeiveson%20Figueiredo%20v%20Marlon%20Vera%0D%3Cbr%3EMackenzie%20Dern%20v%20Loopy%20Godinez%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETickets%20for%20the%20August%203%20Fight%20Night%2C%20held%20in%20partnership%20with%20the%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20went%20on%20sale%20earlier%20this%20month%2C%20through%20www.etihadarena.ae%20and%20www.ticketmaster.ae.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203S%20Money%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20London%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Zhiznevsky%2C%20Eugene%20Dugaev%20and%20Andrei%20Dikouchine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%245.6%20million%20raised%20in%20total%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.
Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.
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 BIG MATCH
Arsenal v Manchester City,
Sunday, Emirates Stadium, 6.30pm
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Wednesday and the pair embraced but he failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
More on Quran memorisation:
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
%3Cp%3E%0DIf%20Catherine%20Richards%20debuts%20for%20Wales%20in%20the%20Six%20Nations%2C%20she%20will%20be%20the%20latest%20to%20have%20made%20it%20from%20the%20UAE%20to%20the%20top%20tier%20of%20the%20international%20game%20in%20the%20oval%20ball%20codes.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeren%20Gough-Walters%20(Wales%20rugby%20league)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBorn%20in%20Dubai%2C%20raised%20in%20Sharjah%2C%20and%20once%20an%20immigration%20officer%20at%20the%20British%20Embassy%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20she%20debuted%20for%20Wales%20in%20rugby%20league%20in%202021.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESophie%20Shams%20(England%20sevens)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EWith%20an%20Emirati%20father%20and%20English%20mother%2C%20Shams%20excelled%20at%20rugby%20at%20school%20in%20Dubai%2C%20and%20went%20on%20to%20represent%20England%20on%20the%20sevens%20circuit.%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFiona%20Reidy%20(Ireland)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMade%20her%20Test%20rugby%20bow%20for%20Ireland%20against%20England%20in%202015%2C%20having%20played%20for%20four%20years%20in%20the%20capital%20with%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20previously.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
