After months of political bickering surrounding his designation as Prime Minister, Saad Hariri put forward on Wednesday a Cabinet lineup of 18 “non-partisan” experts that failed to win the approval of President Michel Aoun and his allies.
Mr Hariri’s latest bid to break the deadlock comes nearly two weeks prior to French President Emanuel Macron’s upcoming visit to Beirut this month, his third since the deadly explosion that shook the capital in August.
Since then, Mr Macron has pressed Lebanon’s political leaders to form a credible government tasked with enacting reforms in line with the roadmap he laid out in August to help Lebanon weather a full-blown economic and financial crisis.
Sources close to Mr Hariri portrayed his attempt as a message to the international community that the PM-designate is serious about forming a credible government that undertakes reforms in exchange for billions of dollars in financial support for Lebanon.
Those reforms still haven't materialised after the international community pledged $11billion in soft loans and financial aid for Lebanon as part of the French-sponsored Cedre conference in 2018.
But while Mr Hariri struck an upbeat note following his meeting with Mr Aoun on Wednesday, few expect his latest offer to make headway, particularly after the president retaliated with a proposal of his own.
Sources familiar with the talks said Mr Aoun’s counterproposal lacked a list of candidates and only touched on the distribution of portfolios among the major forces to be represented in the Cabinet, reflecting how far apart both officials remain over the makeup of the upcoming Cabinet.
That sentiment was on stark display less than 24 hours later when Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a traditional ally of both Mr Hariri and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, dismissed reports of a breakthrough in the Cabinet formation process. "It appears the white smoke over the government will not be released soon," Mr Jumblatt tweeted on Thursday.
The Druze leader has seen his relationship with Mr Hariri suffer several setbacks in recent years, in sharp contrast to his strong ties to his father Rafik Hariri, the assassinated business tycoon credited with reconstructing Beirut after the civil war. The late premier was killed in an bomb explosion that shook Beirut in 2005.
Since the second explosion that sent shockwaves across the capital 15 years later and forced the resignation of Hassan Diab’s government in August, Mr Hariri has failed to bridge the gap with Iran-backed Hezbollah over the formation of a new Cabinet, choosing to nominate diplomat Mustapha Adib to form a government of independents as part of the French-led initiative.
Mr Adib stepped down after Mr Aoun, Hezbollah and their allies insisted on choosing their representatives in the Cabinet, paving the way for Mr Hariri’s designation once again to form a government.
Three months later, Mr Aoun continues to insist that Mr Hariri consults with all groups on the Cabinet make-up to ensure that the government later secures a vote of confidence in parliament, where the president along with Hezbollah, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and their allies hold a majority.
Hezbollah has refused to hand Mr Hariri its list of candidates before the Prime Minister-designate agrees with the president over the latter’s share in the government.
Mr Aoun is reportedly demanding that he nominates seven of the nine Christian ministers to be appointed, effectively granting him the power to veto key resolutions in an 18-member Cabinet.
Mr Aoun and Mr Hariri have yet to agree on the date of their next meeting, a source close to the President said, downplaying the possibility of another round of talks before next week.
Mr Hariri’s push to form a Cabinet has been further complicated by recent US sanctions against Hezbollah and some of his senior allies, including Gebran Bassil, the President's son-in-law and leader of the largest Christian parliamentary bloc.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, the US is now considering sanctions against Central Bank officials over concerns of "money laundering, corruption and links to Hezbollah."
Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, a figure close to Mr Hariri, has resisted international demands to audit the Central Bank’s accounts, a pre-requisite for an IMF program to support Lebanon.
Without an IMF program in place, Lebanon’s economic crisis is expected to further deepen, plunging over half of the population into poverty by 2021, according to World Bank estimates.
The deteriorating economic situation could threaten Lebanon's security stability, caretaker Interior Minister Mohamad Fehmi told The National earlier this week.
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
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)
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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.
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
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Frida%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarla%20Gutierrez%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Frida%20Kahlo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
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 burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
